Blog Archive - 2015

Resolve to Save Water in 2016

: Looking for a New Year’s Resolution you’ll keep in 2016? Resolve to conserve water in the new year with these easy ideas:  Reduce daily showers by two minutes and save up to 240 gallons per month…

Registration for Phase 2 Hog Hunts Starts Monday

: The District will hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the wild hog population. Registration for Phase 2 Hog Hunts starts 9 a.m. Monday.  Wild hogs, which are not…

Middle School Students Work on Outdoor Classroom

: Seventh-graders at Terrace Community Middle School weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty when they recently clipped, plucked and tugged out invasive plants near school grounds.  The students’…

District Reports Gains in Seagrass Coverage in Sarasota Bay

: Sarasota Bay has about 700 more acres of seagrass beds, according to the 2014 seagrass mapping study by the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program. The District’s study results…

Save Water This Holiday Season

: Gifts aren’t the only ways to protect water resources this holiday season. Be water-wise when selecting holiday decorations. Here are some suggestions:  • Add some color to your holiday decorating…

New Trail Segment Opens

: District staff helped community leaders celebrate the completion of the Lutz Lake Fern Road Trailhead and new section of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, which now connects to the Suncoast Trail. Hillsborough…

District Staff Participate in Great American Teach-In

: Whether it was about habitat restoration, geology or the water cycle, dozens of District staff shared their knowledge with students last week during the Great American Teach-In.  The annual event…

Volunteers Break Record at Planting

: More than 300 volunteers broke a record last weekend at the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Project when they planted 40,000 plugs of marsh grass, making it the largest installation of marsh plants in Tampa Bay…

District Approves Regional Water Supply Plan for Central Florida

: The District approved an important water supply plan for Central Florida. The strategy charts a long-term course of more aggressive water conservation, expanded and more efficient water reuse…

District Featured in Documentary

: A sold-out crowd at the Tampa Theatre erupted in thunderous applause after an hour of stunning scenery, funny moments in nature and important messages about conservation. It was the premiere of “The Forgotten…

District Hosts Gator Hunt for Wounded Veterans

: 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…

CFWI Steering Committee Accepts Updated Planning Documents

: The Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) Steering Committee recently accepted the amended Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP) and the draft 2035 Water Resources Protection and Water Supply Strategies Plan (…

District Reports Gains in Seagrass Coverage in Pinellas County Waters

: Pinellas County waters saw an overall increase of 150 acres in seagrass coverage, according to recently released results from the District’s 2014 seagrass mapping study. Pinellas County waters — St. Joseph…

Leaders Celebrate Beneficial Reclaimed Water Project

: District leaders recently helped celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Crystal River to Duke Energy Reclaimed Water Project. It will provide highly treated wastewater, known as reclaimed water, from the City of…

Springs Restoration Continues with $20.4 million investment in District Projects

: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and District have approved five springs restoration projects in Citrus, Hernando and Marion counties. These projects will receive more than $13.4 million in…

Governor Appoints Henslick and Rice to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board

: Governor Rick Scott appointed John Henslick and Kelly Rice to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Henslick represents Manatee County and Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and…

District Hosts Boat Tour

: About two dozen community leaders and other citizens got an up-close look at the condition of Kings Bay when the District hosted a boat tour last week.  The tour was one of the events during Save…

How the District Responds to Rain Event

: Whether they were operating structures, providing needed equipment or talking to citizens, staff members were busy last month responding to the record rainfall received in parts of the District. The rain…

The District Responds to Rain Event

: Whether they were operating structures, providing needed equipment or talking to citizens, staff members were busy the past month responding to the record rainfall received in parts of the District. The rain…

Clearwater Opens Second Reverse-Osmosis Water Treatment Plant

: The City of Clearwater recently celebrated the grand opening of its second reverse-osmosis water treatment plant.  District staff joined the celebration of the plant that treats brackish water…

Palmetto opens new ASR Well to Store Reclaimed Water

: Palmetto residents now have a new Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well. District leaders recently helped the City of Palmetto and other agencies cut the ribbon on the new facility, which will create an…

TECO Receives Award for Reclaimed Water Project

: Tampa Electric Company (TECO) recently received the 2015 Edison Award, the electric power industry’s highest honor, for a cutting-edge reclaimed water project at its Polk County Power Station. District…

Springs Team Presents at Workshop

: Members of the District’s Springs Team were among the collection of speakers at the recent Springs into Action workshop. The all-day event, hosted by the Hernando County Groundwater Guardian, aims to educate…

Governor Reappoints Five Members to the Governing Board

: Gov. Rick Scott reappointed five members of the District’s Governing Board: Jeffrey Adams, 56, of St. Petersburg, is an attorney with Abbey, Adams, Byelick, and Mueller LLP. He is reappointed for a term…

Reminder: Watch the Weather, Wait to Water

: 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 Loses Pioneering Leader

: One of the founding leaders that helped shape the District passed away this week. Dale Twachtmann, the District’s first executive director, died May 17 following a battle with Leukemia.  Twachtmann spent most…

District Reports Largest Amount of Seagrass in Tampa Bay since the 1950s.

: Tampa Bay has the largest amount of seagrass measured in more than 60 years, an indication the health of one of Tampa’s major water bodies continues to improve. Scientists with the District’s…

District Responds to Hurricane Irma

: While the winds and rain of Hurricane Irma could be felt across the District for three days, the preparation and response went far beyond that time frame for District staff. As part of the District’…

Governing Board Re-Elects Officers

: 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:…

Meet the Springs Experts

: The District has added several new members to its Springs Team, which is leading the effort to improve water clarity and habitat in west-central Florida’s springs. The team includes a diverse group of…

Take These Steps at Home to Protect Springs During Springs Protection Awareness Month

: The District’s Governing Board, along with the Florida Legislature and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, declared April Springs Protection Awareness Month. There are many actions you can take…

District Seeks Public Input for the Withlacoochee River Watershed Initiative

: Residents are invited to give input on the District’s Withlacoochee River Watershed Initiative during a series of public workshops. The initiative is a multi-year effort designed to better understand the…

Governing Board Recognizes 2015 Springs Community Partners

: The Governing Board declared April Springs Protection Awareness Month at today’s Governing Board meeting. The move is part of the District’s ongoing effort to restore and protect area springs and…

District's Aerial Burn an Exercise in Efficiency

: District staff recently held an aerial prescribed burn at the Green Swamp. The burn was held in conjunction with the Florida Forest Service as an ongoing effort to share resources with other agencies. Aerial…

Students Compete in Envirothon

: They tackled topics that ranged from soils and forestry to aquatics and wildlife. Hundreds of students from several counties recently participated in the 2015 Nature Coast Regional Envirothon at Crews Lake…

Check Your Irrigation Timer When You Spring Forward to Daylight Saving Time

: 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.…

Students Study Water on Field Trip

: Students at All Saints Academy in Polk County got to experience the water cycle first-hand on a recent rainy-day field trip to Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. The rain didn’t prevent the fourth- and fifth-…

Volunteers Plant Trees at Conner Preserve

: About 30 volunteers recently came out to Conner Preserve in Pasco County to plant 2,000 longleaf pines. Volunteers were members of Lutz Boy Scout Troop 12, the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club and Lutz/Land O…

District Hosts Paddle at Rainbow River

: Dozens of paddlers recently joined the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition team on their excursion along the Rainbow River.  The District recently hosted the Rainbow River Paddle trail mixer in…