The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board approved the purchase of the Southworth Tract, a 589-acre parcel of land located within the Weekiwachee Preserve.

This important property purchase will allow the District to substantially complete the Weekiwachee Preserve Project by connecting seven District-owned parcels. This acquisition meets all four of the District’s Areas of Responsibility, which are water supply, water quality, flood control and natural systems. In addition, the project is consistent with the Governor’s direction for protecting Florida’s springs, waterbodies and natural systems.

“This is a significant acquisition that will not only conserve 589 acres of land in the Weeki Wachee Springshed but will also help protect and maintain good water quality across the nearshore coastal waters of the Springs Coast, which is home to one of the largest seagrass habitats in the world,” said Brian Armstrong, the District’s executive director.

“This property purchase is part of the long-term, overall conservation picture of Florida,” said John Mitten, District Governing Board member. “The opportunity to link this property with the others we already manage fits the strategy and is the missing piece in the puzzle.”

In 1991, the District’s Governing Board approved a plan to acquire and preserve approximately 24,445 acres along the coastal region of Hernando County, designated as the Weekiwachee Preserve Project. To date almost 13,000 acres have been acquired by the District within the project. The project was initiated to specifically protect estuarine marshes and lowlands; preserve and/or restore natural ecosystems and their functions; maintain and/or improve water quality; improve water conveyance; protect habitats and associated wildlife resources; prevent encroachment onto the floodplain; and preserve the aesthetic value of the lands within the project.

The Southworth Tract acquisition supports the District’s mission to protect water resources and minimize flood risks as well as provides the following benefits:

• Completes the conservation and protection of the Indian Creek watershed, which is an important local source of fresh water to the coastal estuary.
• The majority of the property falls within a springs protection area.
• Provides enhanced protection of natural systems, including a spring, tidal creeks, and forested wetlands in the area.
• Supports protection and maintenance of water quality across the nearshore coastal waters, which includes one of the largest seagrass habitats in the world.

The Southworth Tract is located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor identified within the Nature Coast Critical Linkages. The purchase supports the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which was passed by the Florida Legislature last session and signed by the Governor in July. This acquisition helps protect portions of the Florida Wildlife Corridor in southwestern Hernando County and provides important wildlife habitat.

“This is a great purchase of a highly significant coastal wildlife corridor property,” stated Charles Lee, Director of Advocacy of Audubon Florida. “Because of its location just west of US 19 in a rapidly developing area of Hernando County, this tract was destined for development had the District not acted quickly. It is a great relief to know it will now be preserved.”

The parcel is being purchased for approximately $4.6 million with funds from the Florida Forever Trust Fund. Acquisition of the Southworth Tract is consistent with the District’s Florida Forever Workplan, and the property has been identified in the workplan for acquisition since 1997.

The Southworth Tract is located on the south side of Osowaw Boulevard at its intersection with Shoal Line Boulevard in Hernando County.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. The meeting is open to the public. 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.

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 “Go to District Calendar.”

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be holding a feral hog management hunt on the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County Nov. 30 – Dec. 2. The property will be closed to the public from dusk until dawn during the hunts. Normal daytime operations in the park will not be affected.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed nighttime access on the property during these dates. All 20 permits for these hunts have been sold.

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is located at 14302 Morris Bridge Road in Thonotosassa.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

The District only allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds unacceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests and swamps, as well as pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous and feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. In fact, they can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida and are believed to have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 300 pounds and travel in herds of several females and their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at 1-800-423-1476 or (352) 796-7211, ext. 4466 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. 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.

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 “Go to District Calendar.”