Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017.

That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September at Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and Myakka River - Schewe Tract in Sarasota County.

Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and Myakka River - Schewe Tract are located west of North Port, east of the Myakka River, and north and south of Interstate 75. Approximately 450 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.

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017.

That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September on the Lake Panasoffkee property in Sumter County.

The Lake Panasoffkee property is located to the west of Interstate 75 and to the south of State Road 44. Approximately 147 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.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Citrus County. Residents living in the North Citrus Withlacoochee River watershed are invited to attend an open house June 29 at 4 p.m. at the Coastal Region Library, located at 8619 W. Crystal Street in Crystal River.

District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the basis behind the findings, and gather additional information that may be used to identify areas which may be prone to flooding. After addressing 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.

Residents unable to attend the open house may provide virtual public comment now through Aug. 12 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain. The website will present preliminary data for flood prone areas within the North Citrus Withlacoochee River watershed and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments.

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) 796-7211, ext. 4297.

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Executive Director Brian Armstrong has received the Florida Association for Water Quality Control (FAWQC) 2022 Wade Hopping Leadership Award.

Named for a true leader and pioneer in the development of Florida water policy, the award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding professional who oversees policies and/or personnel in the area of water resources and is dedicated to managing, improving, and protecting the quality of Florida’s waters. The award was presented at FAWQC’s 2022 Annual Conference in Naples, Florida, Thursday, June 16.

"It's humbling to be recognized with this award," said Brian Armstrong, District executive director. "It's truly been a privilege to devote my career to protecting Florida's water resources. However, I owe much of my success to the talented and hard-working staff at the water management district."

Under Armstrong's leadership, the District invests millions of dollars each year in water quality initiatives, including seagrass mapping, springs protection, habitat restoration, National Estuary Program support, properly plugging abandoned wells, agricultural cost-share projects, and data collection and analysis. 

Armstrong was appointed as the executive director of the District in June 2016. He brings more than 20 years of water resources experience to his role and his focus is on overseeing the District’s extensive environmental and water resource recovery efforts, promoting a regional approach to water supply planning and development, and guiding efforts to investigate and implement innovative solutions to water resources challenges.

Armstrong previously served as the District’s assistant executive director where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of three divisions and more than 400 staff. He facilitated the development of the District’s first Business Plan, which outlines the people, funding and assets needed to carry out the District’s Strategic Plan. Armstrong also served as the District’s negotiator for the historic development of the Polk County Regional Water Cooperative, involving Polk County and 15 separate municipalities.

Previously, Armstrong served as the assistant director for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Southwest District, which oversees environmental protection for eight counties. Before working at DEP, Armstrong served as the Water Supply and Resource Development manager for the District.

Armstrong is a licensed professional geologist, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Geology and his master’s degree in Hydrogeology from the University of South Florida.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, June 21, at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.

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.”

Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding fully vaccinated people, wearing masks and social distancing will be optional at the meeting.

Governor Ron DeSantis has reappointed Ed Armstrong and William Hogarth to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Both Armstrong and Hogarth represent Pinellas County and were both reappointed for a term ending March 2026.

Armstrong, of Dunedin, currently serves as treasurer of the Governing Board and was recently elected vice chair. He is a shareholder with Hill Ward Henderson in Clearwater. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and earned a juris doctor from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. Armstrong was originally appointed to the Governing Board in June 2014 and reappointed in October 2020.

Hogarth, of Treasure Island, is the former director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography at the University of South Florida. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from the University of Richmond and his doctorate degree in marine fisheries from North Carolina State University. Hogarth was originally appointed to the Governing Board in May 2021.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

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 manage the water and related resources of west central Florida to meet the needs of current and future water users while protecting the environment.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold an independent, scientific peer review of wetland-based criteria for use in establishing minimum wetland and lake levels beginning this month. A minimum level is the level of groundwater in an aquifer or the level of surface water at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area.

The review will be conducted by a three-member panel virtually via Microsoft Teams, teleconference and a web board established specifically for the peer review.

The meetings will take place:

• May 23 at 9 a.m.
• May 31 at 1 p.m.
• June 6 at 1 p.m.
• July 11 at 1 p.m.
• July 18 at 1 p.m.

Members of the public can join the meetings virtually and register to use the web board to post comments regarding the peer review process. Links to the Teams meetings can be found on the District’s Boards, Meetings and Events calendar at WaterMatters.org/calendar. The web board will be open for posting comments through July 19, 2022, and open for viewing through June 30, 2023.

The draft documents on the wetland-based criteria to be considered by the panel will be made available on the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/documents-and-reports. Based on findings of the peer review panel, District staff anticipate using the wetland criteria to support development of minimum levels that will be recommended to the District’s Governing Board for rule adoption to support water use regulation and water supply planning.

For more information regarding the scientific peer review, please contact Doug Leeper, MFLs Program Lead with the District’s Environmental Flows and Assessments Section at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4272.