WaterMatters Magazine Archive

The District’s executive director recently declared an emergency order to increase water restrictions including limiting lawn watering to once per week in the Tampa Bay area due to continued drought conditions…

The District is helping people replace those water wasters in the bathroom by partnering with area cities and utilities to provide low-flow toilet rebate programs. There are numerous ongoing low-flow toilet…

How much water does Polk County use? Where does the county get its supply? What resource alternatives are available? These are just some of the questions tackled at the Polk County Water School. The seven-…

  Cockroach Bay before and after (top right) restoration.                   Gazing from atop the crest of “Mount Cockroach,” visitors were…

Above: Magnolia Gardens, a project of the Hernando County Housing Authority, recently met the requirements of the Florida Water StarSM program. Top right: Governing Board member Judy Whitehead presents…

The District’s Governing Board voted at the May 22 meeting to re-elect its sitting officers. H. Paul Senft Jr. will serve again as Governing Board chair. The other Governing Board officers are: Hugh M.…

Governing Board member Neil Combee gave his resignation at the May 22 Governing Board meeting. He is leaving his position to run for a state House seat. Combee was first appointed to the Governing Board in…

WFLA-TV meteorologist Brooks Garner interviews Rebecca Valone, project manager for the Tampa Port Authority, about McKay Bay. When the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program began…

About 120 volunteers helped plant 9,000 marsh plugs at Cockroach Bay, provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission About 120 volunteers recently got messy and muddy for a marsh. The…

Description: There is a place in the middle of the state, far from either coast, where people can go to experience the unaltered natural beauty of central Florida. The 51,000-acre East Tract of the Green…

Brandt Henningsen, the District’s chief environmental scientist, shows off a freshly planted baby marsh at Cockroach Bay to students from the University of London. As student Bea Nagy inspected a freshly…

Susan Douglas, Florida Water StarSM program coordinator, presents employee Fred Hartless with his Florida Water StarSM certificate. Hartless is the first District employee to earn the certification…

  Left: Kaylee Meadows, a student from Wiregrass Ranch High, plants longleaf seedlings; center: Sheila Hollahan helps volunteer Felix Renta. How long does it take to plant 1,000 trees? Only an hour if…

Fixing leaks and installing a few inexpensive water-saving devices in your home could save up to 20,000 gallons of water each year. Unless your home was built after 1995, you probably have pre-conservation…

  Teams of students tackle questions at the recent 2012 Nature Coast Envirothon at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park. They examined soil, measured trees and got a close look at a snake.…

Beltran Appointed New Assistant Executive Director Assistant Executive Director Robert Beltran Robert Beltran recently joined the District as the new assistant executive director. Beltran will report…

Joint Effort Educates Residents on Protecting Vital Resource Volunteers retrieve debris from Kings Bay during Citrus County’s Save Our Waters Week. The District’s 2011 observance of Springs Awareness Week…

Two areas of the District’s website were recently redesigned and enhanced with new user-friendly features. ePermitting The District’s new ePermitting website, WaterMatters.org/permits, combines the…

Left: Chris Busser, left, and Corbin Bassingwaite plant marsh grass at Clam Bayou. Right: Kyle Carey helped organize the planting of 3,500 units of marsh grasses. Eagle Scout candidate Kyle Carey of Boy…

Construction began this fall on projects at Lake Hancock that will result in improved flows and better water quality in the upper Peace River. Contractors began work Nov. 14 on the Lake Hancock Lake Level…

Are you looking for a quiet place for a bike ride, a hike or just a peaceful picnic? The Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is a great choice. The District’s sole Marion County property with regular public access,…

Parcels With No Water Resource Benefits May Be Offered for Sale The District is hoping to increase efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars by returning surplus parcels of land to the private sector. The…

Misty Alderman, an environmental education specialist with DEP’s Office of Environmental Education, speaks to Pasco County workshop participants. The District is helping make sure school districts in Citrus…

Governing Board Secretary Doug Tharp, left, awards the Florida Water StarSM certification to Kenneth D. Colen, president of On Top of the World Communities, Inc. The developer of a major community in…

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