Reservations and Information:
Although the meeting is online, reservations are encouraged. To register, please indicate the workshop you plan to attend and send your name, title, utility name, email address, and telephone number to:
Kaitlyn Maze at Kaitlyn.Maze@swfwmd.state.fl.us.
Reservations and Information:
Although the meeting is online, reservations are encouraged. To register, please indicate the workshop you plan to attend and send your name, title, utility name, email address, and telephone number to:
Kaitlyn Maze at Kaitlyn.Maze@swfwmd.state.fl.us.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public workshop Thursday, Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss updates to the Lake Tarpon Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. The workshop will take place at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center Auditorium, located at 3940 Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs.
In 1987 the Florida Legislature created the SWIM Act to protect, restore and maintain Florida's highly threatened surface water bodies. Under this act, the state's five water management districts identify a list of priority water bodies within their authority and implement plans to improve them.
SWIM plans are designed to improve or maintain the health of a water body, focusing on management actions, projects, initiatives, and quantifiable objectives within the District’s areas of responsibility.
During the workshop, District staff will present an updated SWIM plan for Lake Tarpon and facilitate public comment. Lake Tarpon is considered a healthy system and is the largest freshwater lake in the Tampa Bay area with 2,534 acres of surface area. Designated an Outstanding Florida Water and a Fish Management Area, Lake Tarpon is located in Pinellas County.
The draft SWIM plan includes refinements to data collection processes and adjustments to vegetation goals based on advancements in technology and updates in standard practices. The plan will continue to monitor nutrient loads, maintain water level elevations consistent with flood control, and support a healthy aquatic vegetation community.
Members of the public can view the draft Lake Tarpon SWIM plan and submit public comment at WaterMatters.org/Projects/SWIM/Lake-Tarpon. Public comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28.
According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to have near- to below-freezing temperatures Saturday morning.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District advises residents who live near Plant City and Dover who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps before temperatures dip.
During a freeze or near-freezing temperatures, water is pumped to protect crops and fish farms, causing aquifer levels to temporarily drop. Once aquifer levels fall below a well’s pump level, the pump can burn out if it is not shut off manually or automatically by a low-pressure shut-off device. An electrical switch located on or near the well can turn off most pumps.
Residents should wait until the temperatures warm up and water levels begin to recover before turning their pumps back on. Residents should consult their local well contractor for questions about restarting their pumps.
To report a dry well, visit WaterMatters.org or contact the District’s Regulation Division at (813) 985-7481.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28 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 District is hosting an open house and community meeting regarding the Medard Reservoir. The open house portion of the meeting will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by a presentation from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
During the open house, District staff, along with representatives from Hillsborough County and the National Weather Service, will be available to answer questions and provide an overview of the following topics:
Don’t miss Hillsborough County’s hiking spree featuring numerous District lands. The hiking spree encourages residents and visitors to get out and explore the county’s parks.
Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through March on the Prairie Shell Creek Tract in Charlotte County.
Prairie Shell Creek is located at 3081 Duncan Road (U.S. Highway 17) in Punta Gorda.Approximately 300 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.
Some major benefits of prescribed fire include:
The District conducts prescribed fires on approximately 30,000 acres each year.
Click here to see aerial footage from a prescribed fire in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve where District land management staff burned 320 acres.
