Salinity generally ranges from 25 to 38 ppt in the lower part of Tampa Bay, closer to the mouth of the bay. Planning for the future is an ongoing process at Tampa Bay Water that includes more than possible new supplies. The Corps of Engineers currently maintains more than 80 miles of deepwater channels in Tampa Bay to a depth of 47 feet. Over the following decades, more bridges crossed Tampa Bay, making travel between surrounding communities much faster and promoting the economic development of the area of the Tampa Bay.
However, Tampa Bay Water faces numerous risks stemming from climate change, including more frequent and intense storms, as well as flooding and the above-mentioned threat of saltwater intrusion. Tampa Bay Water is the only utility in the United States that takes advantage of a distinctive combination of three sources to provide affordable, high-quality drinking water. Tampa Bay was formed approximately 6,000 years ago as a flooded brackish river valleylike estuary with a wide mouth connecting it to the Gulf of Mexico. While the construction of bridges made air travel across Tampa Bay unnecessary, several airports have been built along the coast.
The effects of Hurricane Milton in October 2024 caused contaminated fertilizer industry waste, including Mosaic products, which were retained after phosphate production, to enter Tampa Bay. Petersburg grew rapidly after its founding in the late 19th century, on the western shore of the bay, opposite Tampa. Surface water, or river water, was the first alternative to groundwater added to the Tampa Bay region's wholesale water supply. Not finding gold or silver nearby and not being able to convert the native inhabitants to Christianity, the Spanish didn't stay long in the Tampa Bay area. The high-quality water is delivered to Tampa Bay Water's regional facilities, where it is mixed with treated drinking water from other supply sources before being delivered to Tampa Bay Water members.
Find information about habitat improvement projects in the Tampa Bay watershed from 1970 to the present. The Tampa Bay seawater desalination plant is an alternative drought-proof water supply that provides up to 25 million gallons of drinking water per day to the region. To protect seagrasses and the marine life that depends on them, it remains one of the top priorities for protecting seagrasses and the marine life that depends on them.
