The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board declared April Springs Protection Awareness Month during their March meeting.

In support of the Florida Legislature’s adopted resolution declaring April 2020 as Springs Protection Awareness Month, the Governing Board also emphasized that springs are vital to the environment, economy, citizens and visitors of the state.

The District, in partnership with various stakeholders, is committed to implementing studies, projects and programs to conserve and improve the ecological balance of these spring systems, supporting regional economies and quality of life. The District has been a lead technical agency in springs protection and improvement for more than a decade and has taken a comprehensive approach to protect the region’s springs, which includes water conservation, restoration, planning, communication and education, monitoring, research and development, regulation, and land acquisition and management.

There are more than 150 documented springs throughout the 16-county District, with five first-magnitude spring groups that collectively discharge more than 1 billion gallons of water per day.

You can find more information about springs on our website at WaterMatters.org/Springs.

The Florida Senate has confirmed the appointments of five Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board members.

• Jack Bispham represents Manatee County and his term ends March 1, 2021.
• Joel Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties and his term ends March 1, 2023.
• Kelly Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and his term ends March 1, 2023.
• Roger Germann represents Hillsborough County and his term ends March 1, 2022.
• Seth Weightman represents Pasco County and his term ends March 1, 2023.

Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public's water needs are met.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be closing the WeekiWachee Preserve, located in coastal Hernando County, effective Thursday, April 2 for all uses until further notice.

The District took steps to remind recreational users to follow the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis and to uphold the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to practice social distancing by avoiding gatherings larger than 10 people and distancing themselves a minimum of six feet from others.

However, the District has received multiple reports from law enforcement officials that some members of the public have not followed these guidelines and have been gathering in groups larger than 10 at the Weekiwachee Preserve. The District’s decision to temporarily close the Weekiwachee Preserve is in the interest of protecting public health and safety as we continue to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Other District-managed recreation lands remain open for individual and small group day use in the 16-county region as long as recreational users avoid gatherings larger than 10 people and distance themselves a minimum of six feet from others. The District appreciates the visitors who have followed these rules and encourage them to continue doing so.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we prioritize the protection of public health and safety. We look forward to welcoming recreational users back to WeekiWachee Preserve as soon as possible.

Visit WaterMatters.org/Recreation to learn about social distancing guidelines and other District properties that remain open.

For more information about water conservation, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Conservation.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will keep District-managed recreation lands open for individual and small group day use in its 16-county region to provide the public with a place to get outside and exercise. However, all campgrounds and campsites remain closed.

(Please note, some lands are managed in partnership with other agencies. Please visit the individual property’s webpage to see if it is managed by another agency, and check property closings with that agency before visiting the property.)  

Recreational users are reminded to follow the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis and to uphold CDC guidance to practice social distancing by avoiding gatherings larger than 10 people and distancing themselves a minimum of six feet from others.

As long as recreational users follow this guidance, the District will be able to provide recreational opportunities while protecting public health and safety associated with the spread of COVID-19, unless otherwise directed by an emergency order. 

The District and its partners have acquired more than 450,000 acres of conservation lands primarily through the state's land acquisition programs to protect the 16-county region's water resources. Approximately 99 percent of this land is open for public recreation. Many of these lands are maintained directly by the District and offer a more natural experience, while some of these properties are managed as county and state parks and offer a broader range of amenities.

For more information on District recreation lands, visit WaterMatters.org/Recreation.

The Southwest Florida Water Managemet Distrit (District) in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be treating hydrilla on the Lake Panasoffkee Outlet River March 31 and April 1, weather permitting.

Hydrilla will be controlled on the Outlet River, which flows from Lake Panasoffkee to the Withlacoochee River. The aquatic herbicide Aquathol K will be applied. There are no restrictions on the use of treated water for swimming, fishing or irrigating turf, ornamental plants and crops. Do not use Aquathol K treated water for chemigation. Notices of the treatment will be posted at public access points along the river.

Hydrilla is a troublesome, invasive aquatic plant from Southeast Asia that was introduced into Florida lakes and rivers during the late 1950s. It is a fast-growing submerged plant that expands quickly and produces dense mats at the water surface, which impacts boating, recreation, water flow, native plant communities and dissolved oxygen levels. This treatment has been scheduled to control dense stands of hydrilla, which may impede water flow.

For more information, please call the District at (352) 796-7211 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at (352) 726-8622.

For general waterbody information, aquatic plant control operation schedules and annual workplans, fishing forecasts, virtual tours, boat ramp information and more, visit the “What’s Happening on My Lake” website at myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/habitat/invasive-plants/.

Public participation will be provided through online viewing or conference call options

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, March 24, at 10 a.m. remotely.

Following the Governor’s directions to reduce public gatherings and practice social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, in-person attendance by Board members and staff will be limited. With the exception of the Governing Board chair, all other Board members will be participating remotely. Only staff that are necessary for the meeting will attend in person at the Brooksville Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.

To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit WaterMatters.org and 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.

For any members of the public who wish to provide input to the Governing Board, call in at 1-888-585-9008, then enter conference room number 551-666-434. You will also be able to hear the proceedings there. If possible, please use a landline for the best connection. Please do not use speakerphone or put your phone on hold. Please be sure to mute your phone when you are not providing comment. During the conference call, *2 will mute or unmute your call.

If you are calling in to provide input but also want to see the meeting presentations, we recommend you use the Skype option available on our website at WaterMatters.org rather than our traditional livestream. The livestream is slightly delayed so it wouldn’t be in sync with the phone call. When logging in to Skype, you must select “Don’t join audio.” Make sure to also mute your Skype device audio to avoid feedback loop. Use the telephone numbers listed above to listen to the meeting.

The meeting agenda and meeting materials are posted one week before the meeting, and can be found at WaterMatters.org by clicking on the “Go to District Calendar” link.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close all campgrounds throughout its 16-county region to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Beginning Wednesday, March 18, at 1 p.m., all District campgrounds and campsites will be closed for 30 days. Recreational day use activities will still be allowed at this time.

The health of our staff and stakeholders is our main priority. Call 1-800-423-1476 or visit WaterMatters.org should you have questions.