The Southwest Florida Water Management District will hold a Final Evaluation Committee Meeting on
Friday, November 3, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. (local time) for RFP 22-3970 Legal Matters Management
Software Solution.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Flying Eagle Nature Center in Citrus County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Oct. 31 through Nov. 2.
Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 20 permits for these hunts have been sold.
Flying Eagle Nature Center is located at 12650 East Boy Scout Road in Inverness.
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 (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m.The purpose of the virtual workshop is to allow for public comment on recommended minimum flows for Horse Creek and Charlie Creek. Horse Creek and Charlie Creek are located in portions of DeSoto, Hardee and Polk counties and are two tributaries of the Peace River.
Members of the public may join the meeting via Microsoft Teams through this link https://bit.ly/MFLs.The Google Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Microsoft Teams. For telephone-only participation, dial 1-786-749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 534 782 5#.
Minimum flows are limits established by the District’s Governing Board, and required by state law, to protect flowing water bodies from significant harm caused by ground and surface water withdrawals. The District’s scientists use numerous tools to collect, develop and analyze data before recommending a minimum flow. Their work is then evaluated by an independent peer review panel.
During the workshop, District staff will review the technical basis for the recommended minimum flows for Horse Creek and Charlie Creek. Recommended minimum flows for Horse Creek and Charlie Creek were summarized in draft reports and are available for review at WaterMatters.org/documents-and-reports.
All public comments are summarized and shared with the District’s Governing Board for its consideration when reviewing the recommended minimum flows. A virtual public comment card will be open now through Nov. 3 for the public to submit comments to the District via the Horse Creek and Charlie Creek webpage.
District staff anticipates presenting the recommended minimum flows for Horse Creek and Charlie Creek at the December Governing Board meeting, where the Governing Board may choose to initiate rulemaking for adoption of the minimum flows into District rules. Governing Board meetings are open to the public, and brief oral comments are permitted on meeting agenda items.
For more information regarding the recommended minimum flows, please contact Kristina Deak, Senior Environmental Scientist with the District’s Environmental Flows and Levels Section at (813) 328-3544. Written comments regarding the minimum flows are also welcome and can be submitted via mail or email no later than Nov. 3, to Kristina Deak, Senior Environmental Scientist at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North, Tampa, FL 33637 or Kristina.Deak@WaterMatters.org.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Oct. 24, 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 (District) has temporarily closed the Brogden Bridge airboat slide at Turner Camp Road in Citrus County due to required maintenance associated with the wooden deck. The slide is located between the Hernando and Inverness pools of the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes and is expected to be reopened by Nov. 17.
Attempts to use the slide in its current condition could damage airboats.
The District operates two additional airboat slides in the area, the Moccasin Slough slide and the Wysong-Coogler slide. Both slides remain open and can be used during the Brogden Bridge airboat slide closure.
For more information, please call the Operations Section at the District’s Brooksville Headquarters at 1-800-423-1476 or (352) 796-7211.
Well Drilling Advisory Group meeting will be held: Oct. 25, 2023 from 1:30 - 4 p.m. The meeting will offer three continuing education credits in Rules/Well Construction Practices. |
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 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:
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 $108,304 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:
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 $108,304 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:
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 $108,304 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:
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.
