Blog Archive
Pilot Project Brings Benefits to Hunters Cove
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District scientists already are seeing benefits from the Hunters Cove Revegetation Pilot Project after just a couple months.
Senior environmental scientists from the…
Residents Volunteer Time to Plant Trees
: About 50 volunteers recently came out to Conner Preserve in Pasco County to plant 2,000 longleaf pine seedlings over 5 acres of restored sandhill.
Volunteers were…
Weather Awareness Week Reminds Residents to Stay Safe During Flooding
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This is Severe Weather Awareness Week and while Florida residents are familiar with tropical storms and hurricanes, it doesn’t take a named storm to cause flooding. …
Documentary Highlights District's Work With Springs
: The District’s work with springs is receiving worldwide attention as a Paris production crew recently documented some of the District’s projects.
One Planet Productions, based in France, writes and…
Program Assists Farmers
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Area farmers are seeing big benefits from joining the District’s FARMS program.Farmers recently shared their success stories in a new District video on the Facilitating…
College Students Visit District
: About 20 Eckerd College students recently got an up-close look at one of the structures that helps protect the Tampa area from flooding.
The students toured Structure 161 on the Harney Canal. They also met…
First Community Welcome Center Certified Florida Water Star℠
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Starkey Ranch in Pasco County is home to the state’s first community welcome center to be certified Florida Water Star℠.
The welcome center is a visitor’s first stop to get…
District Upgrading Vertical Datum
: The District is nearing completion of its effort to upgrade the datum, or starting point, used to record water level elevation. The upgrade will improve accuracy of water elevation, which is measured in feet…
Rainfall Trend Could Continue in 2016
: Many residents in the District experienced a wetter-than-average 2015 and more could be on the way for 2016.
Most counties saw annual rainfall totals above historical averages, although only Pinellas and…
District Certifies More Than 1,000 Properties
: Pinellas Heights Senior Apartments contains the 1,000th property certified Florida Water Star℠ by the District.
The 153-unit senior living community in Largo pushes the exact count to 1,048…
Eelgrass Transferred to Hunters Cove
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The District recently completed the next phase of the Hunters Cove Restoration Project in Citrus County.
Lush mats of eelgrass were transferred to Hunters Cove and placed on…
Skip a Week During Cooler Weather
: The District is reminding residents who irrigate their lawns to “Skip a Week” or more of watering during the cooler months of January and February.
According to research by the University of Florida,…
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,…
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.…
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
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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…
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.…
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
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
District Reports Largest Amount of Seagrass in Tampa Bay since the 1950s.
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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…