The Southwest Florida Water Management District is currently developing new minimum flow standards for the Upper Peace River. Minimum flows are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by water withdrawals.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is currently developing new minimum flow standards for the Upper Peace River. Minimum flows are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by water withdrawals.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is currently developing new minimum flow standards for the Upper Peace River. Minimum flows are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by water withdrawals.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is currently developing new minimum flow standards for the Upper Peace River. Minimum flows are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by water withdrawals.
Workshop to follow at 9:30 a.m.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. After the Governing Board meeting, there will be an informational workshop to review the District’s project and financial projections.
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. The workshop is open to the public; however, it will not be live streamed.
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.”
Several area projects will benefit from $112 million in grants recently awarded by the state.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is offering six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and travel without running up your water bill.
During the holidays, water plays a role in everything from preparing your food to prepping your home for time away during this festive season. Here’s how to incorporate water conservation into your holiday plans:
For more water conservation tips, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Water101.
Residents asked to conserve by following their local watering restrictions and checking their irrigation systems and timers
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Phase I Water Shortage due to dry conditions throughout the region.
The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties; the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County; and the portion of Gasparilla Island in Lee County from Dec. 1, 2025, through July 1, 2026.
The District received lower than normal rainfall during its summer rainy season and currently has a 13-inch regional rainfall deficit compared to the average 12-month total. In addition, water levels in the District’s water resources, such as aquifers, rivers and lakes, are declining. Public water supplies remain in relatively good shape.
The Phase I Water Shortage Order does not change allowable watering schedules, however it does prohibit “wasteful and unnecessary” water use, such as allowing water to flow from an unattended hose. Twice-per-week lawn watering schedules remain in effect except where stricter measures have been imposed by local governments. Local governments maintaining once-per-week watering by local ordinance include Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sarasota counties and the cities of Dunedin, Tampa and Venice. Residents should check with their city or county for allowable days and times as many have different schedules or stricter hours in effect.
Outdoor water use accounts for more than 50 percent of water consumed by households and residents should know and follow their local watering restrictions. Residents are asked to check their irrigation systems to ensure they are working properly. This means testing and repairing broken pipes and leaks and fixing damaged or tilted sprinkler heads. Residents should also check their irrigation timer to ensure the settings are correct and the rain sensor is working properly.
The order also requires local utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing year-round water conservation measures and water shortage restrictions, including reporting enforcement activity to the District. The District continues to monitor the drier-than-normal hydrologic conditions and we are coordinating with our utility and regional water supply partners such as Tampa Bay Water and the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority.
For additional information about the Phase I Water Shortage Order, visit the District’s website WaterMatters.org/Restrictions. For water conserving tips, visit WaterMatters.org/Water101.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.
What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:
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.
For more information, please visit our website at WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Marion County.
The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Jan. 1, 2026, at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the State Road 200 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’s WMP Info Line at (352) 415-0974.
