All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30, due to potential impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia. 

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

As a reminder, you can follow along for immediate updates on social media at X.com/SWFWMD or Twitter.com/SWFWMD.

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 Monday, Aug. 28, at 3 p.m. in anticipation of impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia. 

Additionally, the District is in the process of cancelling all existing camping reservations through Friday, Sept. 1.

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 or Twitter.com/SWFWMD.

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activation

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Tropical Storm Idalia and have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2 as of 7 a.m. Monday. 

The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency event.

The District is continuing to monitor potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout its 16-county region. District staff are operating structures based on current and anticipated water levels.

Level 2 activation is utilized when a specific weather situation has reached a point where the District may be adversely affected. Level 2 is a partial activation, and the EOC will:       

• Monitor water levels and operate its water control structures throughout the District’s 16–county area as needed.
• Maintain direct communications with the state and affected county EOCs.
• Ensure current event information is distributed to all District staff.
• Direct the safe use of the District’s recreational facilities such as campgrounds.
• Elevate to a Level 1 Full Activation, when necessary.

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. For the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year.

The District will hold a virtual public meeting Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public can join the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting via Teams, please click here. Use of the Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Teams.

To join the meeting by telephone only, dial (786) 749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 121-548-175#.

A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources or environment. A water reservation defines a quantity of water set aside from the water use permitting process for the protection of fish and wildlife or public health and safety. The District’s Governing Board establishes MFLs and reservations as part of achieving the balance between meeting water needs and sustaining Florida’s natural systems.

The adopted minimum flows and levels priority list and schedule for 2022 is available on the District’s website here. The draft 2023 list will be published on the site following the Governing Board’s Aug. 22 meeting and will be considered for approval at the Board’s October meeting.

Written comments on the draft priority list and schedule may be submitted to Doug Leeper, MFLs Program Lead, at doug.leeper@watermatters.org or to 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL, 34604 no later than Sept. 7.

For more information, please contact Doug Leeper at (352) 269-5863.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 22, 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.” 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host student internship career fairs Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., to recruit graduating high school seniors and college students. 

The fairs will take place simultaneously at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville, and at the District’s Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa.

Student internships are available in several areas, including administrative, business, accounting, finance, maintenance and trades, engineering, information technology, procurement, legal, environmental science and more. District staff will be on site and available to speak with individuals interested in internship opportunities. 

The District is a government agency that employs a diverse workforce from across a wide variety of disciplines, including administrative, business and finance, trades work, mechanical, heavy equipment operation, well drilling, natural sciences and engineering, and many more. 

To see internship opportunities, please visit WaterMatters.org/Careers.

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Nancy Watkins and reappointed Ashley Bell Barnett, Kelly Rice, and Joel Schleicher to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Watkins represents Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Bell Barnett represents Polk County, Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties. 

Watkins, of Tampa, is a certified public accountant at Robert Watkins & Company, P.A. She earned her associate degree from Hillsborough Community College and her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida. Watkins is appointed to a term ending March 1, 2025.

Bell Barnett, of Winter Haven, was appointed to the Governing Board in December 2020. She is a former educator and a community advocate. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College and her Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida. Bell Barnett is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.

Rice, of Webster, was appointed to the Governing Board in September 2015 and reappointed in September 2019. He is the president of Prime Property Resources, Inc., Rice Cattle Company, and Physical Therapy Services of Brooksville, Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of South Florida. Rice is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.

Schleicher, of Sarasota, was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2017 and reappointed in July 2019. He is an experienced entrepreneur and is the Founder and Executive Chair of Focal Point Data Risk, LLC. Schleicher earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota. Schleicher is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.

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.