Environmental board backs gathering data, moves to draft letter supporting local slow-speed (manatee) zone for Stephenson Creek

The Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board voted May 14 to ask staff to draft a letter of support for pursuing a local-government manatee slow-speed zone in Stephenson Creek following a feasibility presentation and sustained public comment.

The board’s action followed a presentation by Stacy Roberts of First Line Coastal, who reviewed a study comparing three approaches: a boating-restricted area, a state-level manatee protection zone, and a local-government manatee slow-speed zone enforceable by city ordinance. "For a local government manatee slow-speed zone, the criteria are the same as a state zone, but the process can be implemented by the city and requires approval by FWC," Roberts said.

The feasibility study recommended the local-government slow-speed option as the most viable path for Clearwater, while flagging key data gaps: limited vessel-traffic records inside the creek, insufficient seagrass/submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) surveys within the creek boundaries, and sparse aerial manatee-survey coverage in the small, tidally influenced segment. Roberts recommended targeted, lower-cost alternatives including bathymetric surveys, seagrass surveys and structured citizen-science programs in lieu of heavy aerial or county-scale vessel-traffic studies. She estimated a data-collection and…