Blog Archive - 2013
December 2013
District Declares Phase II Water Shortage in Tampa Bay Area
December 17, 2013: The District’s Governing Board voted today to declare a Phase II Water Shortage and implement one-day-per-week watering restrictions in the Tampa Bay area due to reduced river levels and increasing water…
District Hosts Cowboys and Cattle
December 11, 2013: Cowboys recently cracked their whips and recreated history on District property.
The District hosted the Hernando Southern Heritage Days Cracker Cattle Drive at Potts Preserve in Citrus County. The Cracker…
November 2013
Bobcat Returns After Rescue
November 25, 2013: A furry feline recently returned to District property after getting injured in a wire fence.
The District welcomed the release of a young male bobcat at Cypress Creek Preserve in Land O’ Lakes. The bobcat…
District Holds Chassahowitzka Springs Restoration Project Dedication
November 18, 2013: Through the crystal waters of the Chassahowitzka, guests could spot schools of fish swimming near the spring vent and even a young manatee swimming nearby.
The wildlife at the beloved Citrus County waterway…
District Hosts Wounded Veterans for Hunt
November 12, 2013: The District recently hosted wounded veterans on its Lake Hancock property for an alligator hunt.
The event was facilitated by Operation Outdoor Freedom and the Wounded Warriors Program. Operation Outdoor…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You Fall Back to Standard Time
November 1, 2013: When you reset those clocks this weekend for the start of Daylight Saving Time, don’t forget to check the timers on your irrigation system controllers.
Sunday is when we reset the clocks forward one hour.…
October 2013
Schools Awarded Grants for Water Resources Education Projects
October 15, 2013: Sixty-six school teachers across the District’s 16-county region will teach issues surrounding our freshwater resources with the help of Splash! school grants from the District.
The goal of the Splash! school…
District to Hold Series of Hog Hunts, Permits Will Be Available Online
October 1, 2013: District land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the wild hog population.
Wild hogs, which are not native to Florida, feed on roots, tubors and…
September 2013
District Employees Rescue Missing Couple
September 26, 2013: District employees Don Kaskie and Violet Woodard thought it would be another typical work day.
The vegetation specialists spent a day last month in airboats treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on Upper…
Regional Water Supply Plan Public Workshop
September 20, 2013: The public is invited to learn more about the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) at a public workshop Thursday.
The Southwest Florida, South Florida and St. Johns River water management districts are…
Beltran Appointed New Executive Director
September 12, 2013: A familiar face is the District’s newest leader.
Robert Beltran is now the District’s executive director. He replaces Blake Guillory who became the executive director of the South Florida Water Management…
District Surveys Public on Recreation
September 4, 2013: The District wants to hear from you.
Do you visit District lands? Do you use the available recreation opportunities?
The District is conducting a recreation evaluation of its lands to determine whether…
August 2013
Stakeholders Invited to Attend Webinar
August 20, 2013: The Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) will be holding an interactive webinar about regional water supply planning in central Florida Thursday, Aug. 29 at 1:30 p.m.
This District is working…
District Restores Feather Sound Wetland
August 13, 2013: As the powerful blast of water rocketed across the mound, the large pile of dirt covered with invasive plants disappeared within a matter of minutes.
The District has turned water into a power tool to help…
District's Water Shortage Restrictions Expire
August 9, 2013: The District’s Governing Board recently voted to let water shortage restrictions expire due to significant improvements in the aquifer and river levels as a result of this summer’s above-average rainfall.…
Volunteers Help Remove Invasive Algae
August 6, 2013: About 70 volunteers recently spent a morning cleaning invasive algae out of Weeki Wachee Springs in Hernando County.
The volunteer event was a coordinated effort by the District and local rotary clubs to…
July 2013
District Improves Water Quality With Chassahowitzka Springs Restoration Project
July 30, 2013: Paddling down the calm flows of the Chassahowitzka River, you might come across a barge humming with machinery.
All seems calm on the surface to the casual boater floating nearby. But in the depths below the…
Governor Appoints Dunbar to Governing Board
July 24, 2013: David W. Dunbar recently was appointed to the District’s Governing Board by Gov. Rick Scott.
Dunbar, of Palm Harbor, is a commercial banker and chairman of Synovus Bank of Florida. He was appointed to succeed…
District Launches New Springs Website
July 18, 2013: Residents have a new resource devoted to the area’s major springs systems.
The District has launched WaterMatters.org/Springs, a one-stop-shop of information on the area’s five major springs systems in Citrus…
June 2013
Watch the Weather, Wait to Water
June 14, 2013: The District encourages residents who irrigate their lawns to take advantage of the summer rains and “watch the weather, wait to water.”
During the summer months of June, July, August and September, yards…
District Debuts Hydrologic Data Page
June 12, 2013: The District recently launched a new resource for rainfall and river data.
The new Hydrologic Data Page features daily rainfall and river flow information in an easy-to-read format. The page provides a…
Landscaping for Hurricanes
June 5, 2013: Hurricane season started and that means people should be stocked up on batteries and bottled watered for the storm season. But people also should be thinking about preparing their yards. Not only does it…
Committee Approves Evaluation Process
June 3, 2013: The District will move forward with an evaluation of recreation on District lands.
The District’s Recreation Ad Hoc Committee, made up of four Governing Board members, approved Thursday moving forward with…
May 2013
Governing Board Elects Officers
May 21, 2013: Michael Babb will remain the chair of the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Governing Board voted today to keep its current officers.
The other officer positions are:…
District Recognizes Water Reuse Week
May 21, 2013:
The District is observing Water Reuse Week as it’s essential to ensuring safe, clean and sustainable water resources.
Gov. Rick Scott proclaimed Florida Water Reuse Week May 19-25 to highlight the…
Experts Discuss Water Quality at Workshop
May 15, 2013: Whether you were a scientist, diver or photographer, water quality was the hot topic at the recent Your Water, Your World workshop held in Brooksville.
The event, organized by the Hernando County…
Volunteers Help Restore Bahia Beach
May 9, 2013: About 70 volunteers recently spent a morning cleaning invasive algae out of Weeki Wachee Springs in Hernando County. The volunteer event was a coordinated effort by the District and local rotary clubs to…
Clearwater Breaks Ground on Second Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant
May 8, 2013:
The City of Clearwater is a step closer to producing almost all of its own water supply with the ground breaking of another reverse osmosis facility.
District Governing Board member Todd Pressman joined…
District Studies Greening Issue
May 1, 2013: As citrus greening becomes an increasing problem across Florida, the District is working with growers that are exceeding their permitted water quantities due to the disease plaguing their groves.
Citrus…
April 2013
Models Assist Staff With Aquifer Assessment
April 24, 2013:
The District uses an extensive combination of research and analysis when assessing aquifer water level changes and the impacts to the state's springs, rivers and wetlands. A computer model is one of those…
Find Ways to Save Water Outdoors
April 19, 2013: We continue recognizing Water Conservation Month with more ways to save water and money.
There are many simple steps you can take to save water outdoors. Typically, outdoor water use accounts for about 50…
Save Water for Water Conservation Month
April 11, 2013:
April is Water Conservation Month across the state because this month is traditionally one of the driest of the year and typically marks the peak demand season for public water suppliers.
It’s also a good…
Introducing the WaterMatters Blog
April 9, 2013:
WaterMatters has gone digital! Each week, you'll find a range of stories about the District such as key issues, restoration projects, behind-the-scenes interviews and coverage of public events. We'll also…
March 2013
Save Water in the Laundry Room
March 26, 2013:
In nearly every part of the home, there are ways to save water. If we don’t conserve, we’re pouring water and money down the drain.
Each person in our region uses about 111 gallons of water per day. You…
Sinkholes hit rock bottom in Blog Ten
March 18, 2013: Completely customize compelling testing procedures vis-a-vis strategic methodologies. Competently engage standards compliant action items through equity invested methodologies. Intrinsicly morph distinctive…