The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 in grants to 51 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 grants to the following schools/teachers in Hillsborough County:

• Bailey Elementary School - Tara Vaughn      
• Heritage Elementary School - Jean Josephson         
• Knights Elementary School - Caylee J Thompson
• McDonald Elementary School - Judy Der
• Oak Park Elementary School - Kaylin Schemmel
• Plant City High School - Hayley Mollmann     
• Shaw Elementary School - Jennifer Gross
• South County Career Center - Ryan Johnson-Lerch
• Tampa Bay Technical High School - Julie Sackles   
• Wharton High School - Christi Atkinson
• Wilson Middle School - Jerry John Comellas

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.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 in grants to 51 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 grants to the following schools/teachers in Polk County:

• Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School - Kelly Stentz 
• Discovery Academy of Lake Alfred - Heather Matousek       
• Hillcrest Elementary School - Nicole Goodman         
• Janie Howard Wilson Elementary School - Betty Finnell       
• Jewett School of the Arts - Juliana Downing-Walker 
• Polk Avenue Elementary School - Melissa Kelly       
• Snively Elementary School - Johnna Bryant
• South McKeel Academy - Cheryl Jacques     
• Spook Hill Elementary School - Cynara Appling        

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.

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 October through December on the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County. 

The Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. Highway 301 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near Thonotosassa. Approximately 300 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Some major benefits of prescribed fire include:

• Reducing overgrown plants, which decreases the risk of catastrophic wildfires. 
• Promoting the growth of new, diverse plants.
• Maintaining the character and condition of wildlife habitat.
• Maintaining access for public recreation.

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.

QR Codes Added for Most Up-to-Date Property Details

The Southwest Florida Water Management District published its new, free recreational guide highlighting nearly 70 properties. With its new sleeker design, users can scan QR codes to discover specific up-to-date details about each property.

There are thousands of acres of recreational lands throughout the District and access to most of them is free to visitors. The new recreation guides also allow users to take notes, learn about various volunteering opportunities and discover more about the District’s different conservation lands.

With 30 unique campgrounds across the District, including back country, primitive and equestrian-styled sites, making a reservation is also free and simple through the District’s recreation website. In addition, the recreation website features georeferenced maps, which visitors can download to be used with map apps that require no cell service.

Outdoor lovers also can check out the new Water Matters Podcast found on the District’s recreation webpage or major podcast platforms. The podcast features Felicia Nudo, land manager, who discusses what it’s like to experience the recreational side of the great outdoors on District lands.

To download or order the free recreation guide, make a free camping reservation, listen to the podcast, or learn more about the District’s recreational opportunities, visit WaterMatters.org/Recreation.

On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board adopted a $224.8 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024, including approximately $92.4 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 FY2024 budget include:

• $65.2 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses.

• $17.8 million for Watershed Management Program plans to support floodplain management decisions and initiatives, and projects to address potential and existing flooding problems.

• $17.1 million for the management and improvement of critical flood control and water conservation structures, canals, culverts and levees.

• $6.6 million for springs initiatives to improve water quality and clarity of springs and spring-fed rivers as well as restore their natural habitats.

Through cooperative funding partnerships, the District will leverage funds for a total regional investment of more than $175 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects. 

For the 12^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 48%. The adopted FY2024 millage rate is 0.2043 mill, 9.6% lower than the current fiscal year which will help lessen the tax burden for Florida residents by saving taxpayers more than $13.9 million in property taxes. 

For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $20.43 a year, or about $1.70 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024.

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. 3, on the District’s 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. 3, 2023, at 9 a.m.
• Includes five hunts that occur October through November 2023.
• 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. 5, 2023, at 9 a.m.
• Includes five hunts that occur January through February 2024.
• 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 2024.
• 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 2024.

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 15th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 523 hogs on nine different tracts of land throughout the District.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North.

A public hearing on the FY2024 budget is scheduled for 5:01 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office.

To view the Governing Board meeting and the public hearing on the FY2024 budget 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.

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