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.

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

The District will hold a public meeting Aug. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. Members of the public can also join the meeting virtually via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting via Teams, please click here. You can also use this URL to join the meeting: https://bit.ly/3zJqfjn. Use of the Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Teams.

To join the meeting by telephone only, dial 1-786-749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 909-560-596#.

A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources or environment. The District’s Governing Board sets these limits 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 2020 is available on the District’s website here. The draft 2021 list will be published on the site following the Governing Board’s August meeting. The revised schedule 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 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4272.