Residents asked to conserve by following their local watering restrictions and checking their irrigation systems and timers

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Phase I Water Shortage due to dry conditions throughout the region. 

The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties; the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County; and the portion of Gasparilla Island in Lee County from Dec. 1, 2025, through July 1, 2026.

The District received lower than normal rainfall during its summer rainy season and currently has a 13-inch regional rainfall deficit compared to the average 12-month total. In addition, water levels in the District’s water resources, such as aquifers, rivers and lakes, are declining. Public water supplies remain in relatively good shape.

The Phase I Water Shortage Order does not change allowable watering schedules, however it does prohibit “wasteful and unnecessary” water use, such as allowing water to flow from an unattended hose. Twice-per-week lawn watering schedules remain in effect except where stricter measures have been imposed by local governments. Local governments maintaining once-per-week watering by local ordinance include Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sarasota counties and the cities of Dunedin, Tampa and Venice. Residents should check with their city or county for allowable days and times as many have different schedules or stricter hours in effect.

Outdoor water use accounts for more than 50 percent of water consumed by households and residents should know and follow their local watering restrictions. Residents are asked to check their irrigation systems to ensure they are working properly. This means testing and repairing broken pipes and leaks and fixing damaged or tilted sprinkler heads. Residents should also check their irrigation timer to ensure the settings are correct and the rain sensor is working properly.

The order also requires local utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing year-round water conservation measures and water shortage restrictions, including reporting enforcement activity to the District. The District continues to monitor the drier-than-normal hydrologic conditions and we are coordinating with our utility and regional water supply partners such as Tampa Bay Water and the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority.

For additional information about the Phase I Water Shortage Order, visit the District’s website WaterMatters.org/Restrictions. For water conserving tips, visit WaterMatters.org/Water101.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.

What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:

• Phase 2 will include six hunts that occur throughout January 2026.
• Permits are no longer transferable.
• The single top producer on each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on the District’s “top producer” list and will be contacted between March and October 2026 to take part in feral hog management hunts on an as-needed basis, free of charge. 

Feral hogs, which are not native to Florida, can cause damage with their broad snouts and can leave an area looking like a plowed field. They also prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to other wildlife, livestock and humans. Additionally, hogs may facilitate the spread of exotic plant species by transporting seeds and/or providing germination sites through rooting.

For more information, please visit our website at WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Marion County. 

The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Jan. 1, 2026, at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the State Road 200 Watershed. The website will present preliminary data for flood prone areas and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments.

After addressing the public comments, information will be finalized and presented to the District’s Governing Board for approval to use the data for regulatory purposes. This information is not currently being incorporated into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs); however, it may be used in future DFIRM updates. 

The information, which identifies areas prone to flooding, can be used by local governments for land use and zoning decisions, to help manage development in and around floodplains and wetlands, to reduce flood risks, to preserve land and water resources, and for emergency planning. It will also provide valuable information to the public for decisions about purchasing and protecting property.

For more information or to find out which watershed you live in, please visit WaterMatters.org/Floodplain or call the District’s WMP Info Line at (352) 415-0974.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. 

To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.

Public comment will be taken only at the meeting location. Public input for issues not listed on the published agenda will be heard shortly after the meeting begins.

The meeting agenda and materials are posted one week before the meeting and can be found online at WaterMatters.org by clicking on the “Meeting & Events Calendar.” 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 18-20.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 30 permits for these hunts have been sold.

The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14301 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

The District only allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds unacceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests and swamps, as well as pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous and feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. In fact, they can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida and are believed to have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 150 pounds, measure over 5 feet in length and travel in herds with their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Thursday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m. to collect public comment on the proposed minimum levels for Lake Angelo and Lake Denton in Highlands County.

Members of the public may register to join prior to the workshop at https://bit.ly/LakesAD. For telephone-only participation, dial 1-786-749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 837 425 385#.

During the workshop, District staff will review the technical basis for the recommended minimum levels for Lake Angelo and Lake Denton. The public will also have an opportunity to give comments and ask questions at the meeting. You may also submit comments through the webpage at WaterMatters.org/projects/mfls/lake-angelo-and-lake-denton-minimum-level-reevaluations.You’ll also find recommended minimum levels for Lakes Angelo and Denton summarized in draft reports. 

All public comments are summarized and shared with the District’s Governing Board for its consideration. District staff anticipate presenting the recommended minimum levels for Lake Angelo and Lake Denton at the December 2025 or January 2026 Governing Board meeting. Governing Board meetings are open to the public, and brief oral comments are permitted on meeting agenda items.

The Florida Legislature requires the District to set MFLs for priority water bodies within the District. Minimum flows are established to prevent significant harm to streams and rivers from impacts associated with groundwater and surface water withdrawals, while minimum levels are established to prevent significant harm to lakes and wetlands. The District’s scientists use numerous tools to collect, develop and analyze data before recommending a minimum flow or level. Minimum flows and levels serve as guidelines for the District’s permitting programs and for development of water resource projects.

For questions regarding the recommended minimum flows and levels, please contact T.J. Venning, senior environmental scientist with the District’s Natural Systems and Restoration Bureau at (352) 269-5980. Written comments regarding the minimum levels are also welcome and can be submitted via mail or email no later than Nov. 30, to T.J. Venning, senior environmental scientist at 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604 or TJ.Venning@WaterMatters.org.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 4-6.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 25 permits for this hunt have been sold.

Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located at 15430 SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

The District only allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds unacceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests and swamps, as well as pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous and feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. In fact, they can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida and are believed to have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 150 pounds, measure over 5 feet in length and travel in herds with their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract in Manatee County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 4-6.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 12 permits for these hunts have been sold.

The Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract is located at 22310 CR 675 in Parrish.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

The District only allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds unacceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests and swamps, as well as pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous and feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. In fact, they can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida and are believed to have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 150 pounds, measure over 5 feet in length and travel in herds with their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers next weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time.

Saturday, Nov. 1 is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures.

All 16 counties throughout the District’s boundaries are on year-round water conservation measures, with lawn watering limited to twice-per-week unless your city or county has a different schedule or stricter hours. Local governments maintaining once-per-week watering by local ordinance include Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sarasota counties and the cities of Dunedin, Tampa and Venice.

Know and follow your local watering restrictions, but don’t water just because it’s your day. Irrigate your lawn when it shows signs of stress from lack of water. Pay attention to signs of stressed grass:

• Grass blades are folded in half lengthwise on at least one-third of your yard.
• Grass blades appear blue-gray.
• Grass blades do not spring back, leaving footprints on the lawn for several minutes after walking on it.

For additional information about water conservation, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Water101.