Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) staff, state and local elected officials from Pinellas, Manatee and Hillsborough counties, Department of Environmental Protection staff, former Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) staff, SWIM volunteers, SWIM cooperators and consultants
What: The District will host an event at Cockroach Bay to celebrate 20 years since the Florida Legislature passed the SWIM Act. The event will include a presentation with key note speaker and an awards ceremony. The presentation will be followed by activities including water and land tours of the restored areas of Cockroach Bay. The District will provide canoes and kayaks for water tours. Guests are welcome to bring their own canoes and kayaks.
When: Friday, November 2 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Where: The event will be at Cockroach Bay, 3709 Gulf City Road, Ruskin, FL in Hillsborough County.
District Contact: Space is limited, please RSVP by October 26 to Susan Kessel, 800-423-1476, ext. 4760 or cell 352-279-2999
Directions: Take I-75 south to Exit 240B (SR 674) to Ruskin, go west toward US 41. Go south on US 41 for approximately three miles to Cockroach Bay Road. Go west on Cockroach Bay Road for approximately two miles to Gulf City Road and turn right. The event location will be about a half mile up on left.
The Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act
In 1987, the Florida Legislature created the SWIM Act to protect, restore and maintain Floridas highly threatened surface water bodies.
The Southwest Florida Water Management Districts (District) 10 priority water bodies include Tampa Bay, Rainbow River, Banana Lake, Crystal River/Kings Bay, Lake Panasoffkee, Charlotte Harbor, Lake Tarpon, Lake Thonotosassa, the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes and Sarasota Bay.
The SWIM Program has completed more than 200 habitat restoration and water quality improvement projects, translating to more than 3,000 acres of restored habitat.
The SWIM Program has received 39 environmental excellence awards since 1987.
SWIM recently received environmental excellence awards for the Lancaster Tract Habitat Restoration Project, Ft. DeSoto Park Recirculation and Ecological Enhancement Project, Kapok Wetland and Floodplain Restoration Project, and Gateway Tract Habitat Restoration Project.
Lake Hartridge Park at the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes
The Lake Hartridge stormwater treatment project is located on the shoreline of Lake Hartridge, which is one of the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes.
This project provides water quality and natural systems benefits through treatment of stormwater from a 175-acre basin and the creation of wetland habitat.
A total of eight completed stormwater treatment projects in the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes watershed have been completed to treat more than 2,300 combined acres.
Charlotte Harbor
Charlotte Harbor proper, covering 270 square miles, is Floridas second largest open water estuary and is considered one of the most productive estuarine systems on the west coast of Florida. It is has been declared an estuary of national significance through its inclusion in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys National Estuary Program.
Charlotte Harbor and its watershed, together covering more than 4,400 square miles, are home to more than 40 species of animals listed by the state as either endangered, threatened, or of special concern.
Since 1987, 12 coastal restoration projects and seven ecological studies for Charlotte Harbor have been completed for a total of approximately 771 acres of restored coastal habitats.
Cockroach Bay
The Cockroach Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project represents one of the largest, most complex coastal ecosystem restoration projects ever developed for the Tampa Bay estuarine ecosystem.
The Districts partnerships with 19 members of the Cockroach Bay Restoration Alliance, $1.6 million in grant funds and more than 2,250 volunteers have played an integral role in the success of this project.
To date, 425 acres of this 500-acre multiphase project have been restored. The last phase of 75 acres of estuarine wetlands currently is under design and is anticipated to be completed by 2008-2009. When complete, the project will have restored 282 acres of various estuarine/freshwater wetlands and 218 acres of coastal uplands.