The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Tuesday, 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:

• Phase 2 will include six hunts that occur in January 2025.
• Permits are transferable.
• The single top producer on each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on the District’s “top producer” list and will be contacted between March and October 2025 to take part in feral hog management hunts on an as-needed basis, free of charge. 

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 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.

For more information, please visit our website at WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. 

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’s (District) Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 12-14.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 25 permits for this hunt have been sold.

Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located at 15430 SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon.

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 150 pounds, measure over 5 feet in length and travel in herds with their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county. 

The District awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in its northern region:

• Brooksville Elementary School - Brittany Johnson (Hernando)
• Bushnell Elementary School - Laura Gorham (Sumter)
• Central High School - Rachel Kingdom (Hernando)
• Dunnellon Elementary School - Nancy Garvin (Marion)
• Hernando Elementary School - Amanda Carter (Citrus)
• Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School - Kip Hendrix (Sumter)
• Ward-Highlands Elementary School - Karly Miller (Marion)
• Wildwood Middle High School - Travis Childs (Sumter)
• Williston Middle High School - Kristen Brown (Levy)

Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are   focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county. 

The District awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in Highlands County:

• Avon Elementary School - Katina Kramer
• Avon Park High School - Ruth Crothers 
• Lake Country Elementary School - Alana Dewey
• Sun ’N Lake Elementary School - Shonda Zimmerman

Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county. 

The District awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in Hillsborough County:

• Heritage Elementary School - Jean Josephson
• Knights Elementary School - Caylee Thompson
• Medical Academy at D.W. Waters - Brittany Loubier-Vervisch
• Newsome High School - Julie Wernicki
• Oak Park Elementary School - Kaylin Schemmel
• Pierce Middle School - Sigrun Ragnarsdottir
• Spoto High School - Robert Lacombe
• Tampa Bay Technical High School - Julie Sackles
• Temple Terrace Elementary School - Naomi Frierson
• Town and Country Elementary School - Krystal Greenberg
• Wharton High School - Christi Atkinson
• Woodmont Charter School - Raina Fiallo

Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county. 

The District awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in Manatee and Sarasota counties:

• Alta Vista Elementary School - Andrew Jaffee (Sarasota)
• Ashton Elementary School - Tiffany Lloyd (Sarasota)
• Bay Haven School of Basics Plus - Kandace Budai (Sarasota)
• Bayshore High School - John Silva (Manatee)
• Lakewood Ranch High School - Tana Phelps (Manatee)
• Manatee High School - Boontarika Elswick (Manatee)
• Palmetto High School - Natalie Richard (Manatee)
• Suncoast Polytechnical High School - Patricia Altomare (Sarasota)
• Wilkinson Elementary School - Tessa Healy (Sarasota)

Grants are available for freshwater resources field studies, water-conserving garden projects, community or school awareness campaigns and on-site workshops. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county. 

The District awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in Pasco and Pinellas counties:

• Achieve Center at Wesley Chapel - Meghan Butler (Pasco)
• Dayspring Academy - Chris Anzalone (Pasco)
• East Pasco Education Academy - Dr. Jose H. Olmo (Pasco)
• Frontier Elementary School - Gina Owens (Pinellas)
• J. W. Mitchell High School - Dennis Koslin (Pasco)
• Moon Lake Elementary School - Amy Craver (Pasco)
• Safety Harbor Middle School - Vanessa Barkman (Pinellas)
• Seminole Elementary School - Denise Barto (Pinellas)
• Shady Hills Elementary School - Margaret Higgins (Pasco)
• West Pasco Education Academy - Shamsher Lamba (Pasco)

Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.