Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2 due to high water levels at the G-90 Water Conservation Structure in Highlands County. 

The G-90 structure is located on Lake June-in-Winter in Lake Placid. The lake received 11.26 inches of rain over the last three days, and the lake has reached its minimum flood level.

District staff are monitoring water levels around the clock. The water level in Lake June-in-Winter is slowly rising. The high-water conditions downstream of G-90 limit the amount of water that can be discharged from the lake. The District is carefully releasing water from Lake June-in-Winter to help minimize flooding around the lake while also limiting discharges that could affect potential downstream flooding.

Residents should stay alert for more information from Highlands County Emergency Management and be prepared to evacuate in case of possible flooding. The Covered Bridge community near Jack Creek or Josephine Creek could experience flooding.

The District is coordinating closely with Highlands County Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, the South Florida Water Management District, the State Dam Officer and the Florida Department of Emergency Management. District staff is closely monitoring conditions and will be performing inspections of the structure today.

The G-90 Water Conservation Structure, a reinforced-concrete gated spillway, regulates the surface water elevation of Lake June-in-Winter to ensure the environmental health, recreation use and the aesthetic value of the lake.

The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency weather event. The EOC also directs District field crews, responds to requests from the state EOC, and provides water resource updates to state and local emergency management agencies, the media and the public. The District EOC will expand to include additional emergency personnel as the situation demands. For the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org.

Today, the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted to elect officers for the 2026-2027 term. All water management districts are now holding elections in October for consistency.

Jack Bispham was elected chair of the Governing Board. Bispham represents Manatee County and is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation. Bispham was appointed to the Governing Board in November 2019 and was reappointed in May 2021 and again in August 2025.

Ashley Bell Barnett was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Bell Barnett represents Polk County, is a former educator and serves in a variety of capacities at organizations across the community, some of which include the Board of Governors for the State University System, Polk State College District Board of Trustees and the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation Board of Directors. Bell Barnett was appointed to the Governing Board in December 2020 and was reappointed in August 2023.

John Hall was elected secretary of the Governing Board. Hall represents Polk County and is the owner of Polk Community Association Management, director of City of Bartow Utilities and is a former Polk County Commissioner. Hall was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2021 and was reappointed in August 2025.

Dustin Rowland was elected treasurer of the Governing Board. Rowland represents Pasco County and is the president and owner of Rowland Truck Lines, Inc., Rowland Cattle Company, LLC, and Dustin Rowland, LLC. Rowland was appointed to the Governing Board in February 2023.

The officers will assume their positions for the 2026-2027 term 24 hours before the November Governing Board meeting.

Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public’s water needs are met.

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. 3-5.

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’s (District) Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 3-5.

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

Sunday, 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 current water restrictions.

Under the current Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage, all residents, including those on private wells, should follow one-day-per-week watering restrictions and watering hours remain reduced from midnight to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Properties less than one acre in size may only use one of these windows. Properties one acre or larger may only water before 4 a.m. and after 8 p.m.

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 the Modified Phase III 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) awarded $113,735 in grants to 56 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county.

The District awarded 13 grants to the following schools/teachers in its Northern region:

• Central High School - Rachel Kingdom (Hernando)
• Chiefland Elementary - Genna Capps (Levy)
• Citrus eSchool - Waunee Endsley (Citrus)
• Dunnellon Elementary School – Nancy Garvin (Marion)
• Lake Panasoffkee Elementary - Jacqueline Crespo (Sumter)
• Lake Panasoffkee Elementary - Kip Hendrix (Sumter)
• Madison Street Elementary - Elizabeth Wallace (Marion)
• Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School - Brenda Fagan (Marion)
• Webster Elementary -  Morgan Hall (Sumter)
• Westside Elementary School - Erica Metzler (Hernando)
• Wildwood Intermediate - Morgan Hansen (Sumter)
• Wildwood Middle High - Emily Keeler (Sumter)
• Williston Middle High - Kristen Brown (Levy)

Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.