WaterMatters Magazine Archive

The contribution of hundreds of District volunteers was celebrated in April with a Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Green Swamp West Field Office. “The District has been around since 1961,” said David…

Nearly a decade of public workshops, water resource analyses and policy debates culminated recently in approval of the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA) Recovery Strategy by the District’s Governing…

 Dozens of District staff donate blood each time the LifeSouth bloodmobile visits the Brooskville office. I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for blood donors” That’s what a District employee told Susan…

District staff participated in a free, voluntary health screening sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The screening involved answering some lifestyle questions, and blood pressure and cholesterol checks.…

 Chair McCree and her assistants demonstrate the water cycle at St. Mary's Episcopal Day School. Chair McCree used two volunteers, a cotton ball, water and a pan to demonstrate the water cycle. One…

Dozens of students between the ages of 9 and 18 explored District offices in April as part of the annual “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” This is the tenth year the District has participated in the…

 A stormwater treatment pond and diversion structure built adjacent to Lake Mariana will help improve water quality in the Polk County lake. The water quality at Lake Mariana and the Winter Haven Chain…

 The District’s team, seen here, raised more than $5,000 for the American Cancer Society during the Brooksville Relay for Life. District staff, family and friends recently raised more than $5,000 in…

The biannual employee meetings, held at each of the District service offices, are a good place to go and receive the latest information about what’s going on at the water management district.  Answering…

 At the FARMS program presentation are (from left to right) Paul Samuels, Peace River Basin Board member; Mac Carraway, Manasota Basin Board member; Senator Mike Bennett; Representative Nancy Detert;…

 Roger Araya spent several weeks with the Resource Conservation and Data Department collecting water samples and learning about water quality. While many high school students spend their summer breaks…

April… a month known for April Fool’s Day, tax day, Earth Day and, in Florida, water conservation. The state Legislature designated April as water conservation month. This year the District will celebrate…

 During the holiday season, Morra shows off her Christmas spirit. In many ways, Joyce Morra, senior administrative assistant in the District’s Finance Department, serves as a translator or “go-between…

 This Florida scrub-jay was captured on camera at the District’s Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County by Will Van Gelder, senior land management specialist. The Florida scrub-jay and other…

One of the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) restoration projects is providing inspiration for hundreds of Hillsborough County art and photography students. Ten classes of middle…

Phyllis Young, senior administrative assistant, gives barbecue customers service with a smile. Clyde Sesler cooks up some mouth-watering chicken and ribs. Frances Sesler, senior administrative assistant,…

 District staff and Governing and Basin Board members toured The Villages. From left to right: Albert “Bo” Rooks, Withlacoochee River Basin Board member; John Heuer, deputy executive director; Janet…

Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard calls it “another gem in the crown of Clearwater,” but Kapok Park wasn’t always a beautiful public green space, home to roseate spoonbills, wood storks, sandpipers and many…

More water is flowing in DeSoto County thanks to the completion of a $3.6 million pipeline. The five-mile pipeline, known as the DeSoto County Regional Transmission System (RTS) Extension, connects the…

It’s not every day someone receives recognition from the President of the United States. However, an equestrian volunteer group and two off-road bike volunteers who take part in the District’s Land…

The District’s Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.) is being noticed throughout the southeast for its success. Governing Board member Watson Haynes II and Melissa Roe, a District…

A love of nature led to Bob and Sharon Blanchard’s decision to work with the District on two perpetual conservation easements for the Little Everglades Ranch. “So many people move here for the beauty and…

It’s official. District employees in Tampa now have a new home. While the subject of maintaining flood control structures caught the nation’s attention after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans,…

With the growing popularity of home improvement shows, the District turned to a new way to promote Florida-friendly landscaping. The District participated in a radio promotion called “Curb Appeal.” The…

Two District communication projects have taken top honors at this year’s Florida Government Communicators Association (FGCA) Awards Banquet. The FGCA Crystal Awards recognize excellence in government…