MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Residents have recently voiced concerns about the Manatee County Dam following heavy rain and flooding on their properties.

In response, county officials aimed to answer questions about how the dam works and to show residents what happens when water levels rise rapidly — similar to what happened while Debby was a Tropical Storm.

Patrick Shea, the utilities director for Manatee County, explained how the Lake Manatee Dam operated during Debby.

“The dam is in very good working order. It performed as it was designed during Debby,” he said.

Shea says there is staff monitoring the dam 24/7.  

“They go out, inspect the dam, make observations, take readings, and record the dam’s condition and how it’s operating. This is standard practice. We also do a six-month assessment on the gate systems and mechanics, followed by a yearly independent assessment of the dam,” he said.

The dam holds a 6-billion-gallon reservoir. During Debby, it’s estimated that 18 billion gallons of water flowed through it.

Deputy Director for the Manatee County Utilities Department Katie Gilmore explained when and why officials make the determination to release water from the Lake Manatee Dam.  

“Once the lake rises above about 39 to 40 feet during a storm, we have to release whatever water comes in,” she said.

Residents have expressed frustration, saying they didn’t have enough time to prepare when alerts were sent out. However, the county is working on improving its communication strategy.

To address concerns about the flooding in Bradenton, Director Charlie Hunsicker confirmed that the flooded areas of Summerfield and River Club were not caused by the Lake Manatee Dam.  

“I can tell you with 100% certainty that the Manatee River basin and discharge from the dam did not flow through the Braden River basin, causing the flooding there. The water plant operators in the city of Bradenton can easily confirm that, at all times, water was flowing over their structure,” he said.

Currently, the county is in the process of bringing in a third party to conduct an analysis on three watersheds—Braden River, Mill Creek, Gamble Creek and Pearce Drain — to determine the cause of the flooding.

Regarding development concerns, the Natural Resources Director said they are conducting a flooding analysis to examine whether developments are impacting flood levels in the area.