Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) land management staff have completed evaluations of all District-managed campgrounds and properties after Hurricane Helene and all trails and day use areas and the majority of campgrounds throughout its 16-county region are now open to the public. 

However, several campgrounds will remain closed until further notice, including Hampton Tract in Polk County, McNeil primitive campground in Pasco County and the Hooty Point campground in Potts Preserve, located near Inverness. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board approved the purchase of the Mattaniah Property, in partnership with Hillsborough County, in the Alafia River Watershed. This 629-acre parcel of land adjoins the Alafia River Reserve, which is in existing District ownership and managed by Polk County, and contains portions of English Creek, Thirty-mile Creek, and the North Prong of the Alafia River in Hillsborough County.

This is the first joint acquisition project with Hillsborough County in approximately 20 years. The county has agreed to assume the management and maintenance costs associated with the Mattaniah Property and the property will be managed consistent with the county’s management plan for the Alafia River Corridor River Preserve.

The Mattaniah Property is approximately 43% uplands with the balance being wetlands. This acquisition meets all four of the District’s Areas of Responsibility, which are water supply, water quality, flood protection and natural systems, and will protect portions of English Creek, Thirty-mile Creek, and the North Prong of the Alafia River. The property contributes to the completion of the Alafia River Corridor project within the District’s Florida Forever Workplan.

The parcel is being purchased for approximately $6.7 million, and will be split equally with Hillsborough County, with funds from the Florida Forever Trust Fund. 

The Mattaniah Property is located on the west side of Carey Road, roughly one mile south of State Road 60 and three-quarters of a mile north of Nichols Road.

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

The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Nov. 11 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the Highlands Hammock 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 at (352) 415-0974.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has released as much water out of Lake Tarpon as possible, however anticipated storm surge from Hurricane Helene is expected to overtop the structure. The District cannot prevent saltwater from the storm surge from entering the freshwater lake. 

Additionally, water cannot be released from the lake until the storm surge recedes. Once the water levels from the storm surge fall below the lake level, water discharge from the lake will be maximized to return Lake Tarpon to its normal level as soon as possible.

The Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal is one of 84 water-control structures throughout the District’s 16-county area. The three-mile canal extends from the south end of Lake Tarpon and empties into Old Tampa Bay. The structure is designed to prevent salt water from entering Lake Tarpon during high tides and protects the lake’s freshwater ecology.

District Structure Operations staff will continue to monitor water levels and operate all of the agency’s water-control structures around the clock.

Emergency Operations Center at Level 1 Activation

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 1 as they continue to monitor Tropical Storm Helene. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. 

The District is evaluating potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout its 16-county region. Despite recent heavy rainfall, most area lakes and waterways are within their operational ranges and District staff are operating structures in anticipation of the rainfall from Tropical Storm Helene.

Level 1 activation is utilized when a specific weather situation has developed into an emergency. Level 1 is full activation, and the EOC will:

• Mobilize appropriate District emergency personnel to participate in emergency operations.
• Suspend normal departmental functions throughout the District that might interfere with emergency operations — all others continue.
• Monitor water levels and operate water control structures on water bodies throughout the District’s 16-county area as needed.
• Present daily (or as-needed) situation reports to the state EOC and maintain direct communications with the state and affected county EOCs.
• Ensure current event information is distributed to all District staff.

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 general public. The District EOC will expand to include additional emergency personnel as the situation demands.

Information concerning District-related meeting cancellations and office closures will also be provided to the media and made available on the District’s website at WaterMatters.org.

On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board adopted a $231.6 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025, including $86.6 million for Cooperative Funding Initiatives and District grants for water resources projects.

The budget reflects the District’s commitment to protect Florida’s water resources and to improve Florida’s economic vitality. Some of the key initiatives in the District’s FY2025 budget include:

• $76.5 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses.

   

• $18.9 million for the management and improvement of critical flood control and water conservation structures, canals, culverts and levees.

• $10.2 million for surface water restoration initiatives and water quality improvement projects to treat stormwater runoff before discharging directly or indirectly to water bodies.

• $6.1 million to manage approximately 460,000 acres of conservation lands for the statutorily‑mandated purposes of protecting and restoring their natural condition and, where appropriate, providing for compatible recreational uses for the public.

Through cooperative funding partnerships, the District will leverage funds for a total regional investment of approximately $161 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects. 

For the 13^th year in a row, the District’s Governing Board has adopted a millage rate equal to or less than the rolled-back millage rate, for a cumulative rate reduction of 51%. The adopted FY2025 millage rate is 0.1909 mill, 6.6% lower than the current fiscal year, which will help lessen the tax burden for Florida residents by saving taxpayers $9.5 million in property taxes. 

For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $19.09 a year, or about $1.59 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close all District-managed campgrounds and properties to include trails and day use areas throughout its 16-county region Wed., Sept. 25, at 3 p.m., in anticipation of impacts from Tropical Storm Helene. 

Additionally, the District is in the process of canceling all existing camping reservations through Tuesday, Oct. 1.

All District offices will be closed Thursday, Sept. 26, due to potential impacts from the storm. 

The District will continue to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Helene to determine if future closings are necessary, however District offices are expected to be open Friday, Sept. 27.

For the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org. As a reminder, you can follow along for immediate updates on social media at X.com/SWFWMD.

District land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population. 

Prospective hunters can purchase permits for Phase I hunts beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 1, on the District’s website WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. Permits will be available on a first come, first serve basis until they are sold out. The cost is $75 for each permit. A complete list of hunts with locations and dates is also available online.

The District has a three-phased hunting system. The first two phases of hunts will have separate registration processes. The single top producer from each Phase 1 and Phase 2 hunt will be asked to participate in hog management activities for Phase 3.

All hunts will adhere to the hog-dog format. No still hunts will be available. The program works like this:

Phase 1 Hunts 

• Registration will occur Oct. 1, 2024, at 9 a.m.
• Includes five hunts that occur October through November 2024.
• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.
• Permits are transferable.
• The top producer on each Phase 1 hunt will be placed on the District’s ‘top producer’ list and will be awarded participation in our Phase 3 hunts, free of charge. We no longer award free admission into Phase 2 for our top two producers of the Phase 1 hunt.
• Failure to follow regulations or poor behavior issues will disqualify registrants for incentive consideration at the sole discretion of District staff. Participants will be provided the opportunity to refute the decision. 

Phase 2 Hunts

• Registration will occur Dec. 3, 2024, at 9 a.m.
• Includes six hunts that occur January through February 2025.
• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.
• Permits are transferable.
• The top producer on each Phase 2 hunt will be placed on the District’s ‘top producer’ list and will be awarded participation in our Phase 3 hunts, free of charge. We no longer award free admission into Phase 2 for our top two producers of the Phase 1 hunt.
• Failure to follow regulations or poor behavior issues will disqualify registrants for incentive consideration at the sole discretion of District staff. Participants will be provided the opportunity to refute the decision.

Phase 3 “As-Needed” Management Hunts 

• Includes management hunts that can occur between March through October 2025.
• Only those registrants that qualify as top producers following the Phase 1 and 2 hunts will be contacted to take part in management hunts during this period.
• Management hunts offered to top producers will be free of charge and non-transferable.
• Phase 1 and Phase 2 top producers, without rule violations, will be offered participation on a minimum of four management hunts occurring March through October 2025.

The District-managed properties will be temporarily closed to the public during the hog hunts. Only permitted hunters will be allowed access.

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.

This is the 16th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 719 hogs on 11 different tracts of land throughout the District.