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 October through December on the Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract (Gilley Creek) in Manatee County.

Gilley Creek is located between State Road 62 and 64, east of County Road 675. 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.

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 October through December on the Halpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County.

Halpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2 miles east of Dunnellon and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando and is bounded by County Road 484 on the north, State Road 200 on the southeast and the Withlacoochee River on the southwest. Approximately 800 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 October through December at the following Pasco County properties:

• Cypress Creek Preserve
• Conner Preserve
• Starkey Wilderness Preserve
• Upper Hillsborough Preserve
• Weekiwachee Preserve

Cypress Creek Preserve is located east of Ehren Cutoff and south of State Road 52. Approximately 200 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Conner Preserve is located west of Ehren Cutoff and south of State Road 52.

Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Starkey Wilderness Preserve is located east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway, north of State Road 54 and south of State Road 52. Approximately 700 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Upper Hillsborough Preserve is located south of the County Road 54 and east of Chancey Road in Zephyrhills. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Weekiwachee Preserve is located north of Hudson, west of U.S. Highway 19 and includes the Aripeka Sandhills tract. Approximately 25 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed burn events.

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 October through December 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 400 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.

On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board  adopted a $198 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2022, including approximately $63.5 million for the Cooperative Funding Initiative 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 FY2022 budget include:

• $25.9 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses.
• $2.9 million for springs initiatives to improve springs and spring-fed rivers and to improve water quality and clarity as well as restore natural habitats.
• $26.1 million for Watershed Management Program plans to support floodplain management decisions and initiatives, and address potential and existing flooding problems.

Through cooperative funding partnerships, District funds are typically matched up to 50% and will result in a total regional investment of more than $122 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects.

The adopted FY2022 millage rate is 0.2535 mill, 5% lower than the current fiscal year which will help lessen the tax burden for Florida residents by saving taxpayers approximately $6.5 million in property taxes. For the owner of a $250,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $50.70 a year, or about $4.23 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022.

District land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.

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.

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 begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 5, 2021.
• Includes six hunts that occur November through December 2021.
• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.
• Permits are transferable.
• The top producer of each Phase 1 hunt will be placed on the District’s “top producer” list and will be awarded participation in the District’s Phase 3 hunts, free of charge.

Phase 2 Hunts

• Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Dec. 14, 2021.
• Includes six hunts that occur January and February 2022.
• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.
• Permits are transferable.

• The single top producer of each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on the District’s “top producer” list and will be awarded participation in the District’s Phase 3 hunts, free of charge.

Phase 3 “As-Needed” Management Hunts

• Includes management hunts that may occur March through October 2022.
• 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.
• All 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 2022.

The District-managed properties will be temporarily closed to the public during the hog hunts. Only permitted hunters will be allowed access.

Prospective hunters can purchase permits for Phase I hunts beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 5 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.

This is the 13th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 560 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. 28, at 3 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North.

A public hearing on the FY2022 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 FY2022 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.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Sumter County.

The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Oct. 19 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the Nichols Pond 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 at (352) 796-7211, ext. 4297.