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.

Consistent with direction provided by Governor DeSantis, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has canceled all nonessential travel and implemented social distancing to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

All District offices will be closed to the public beginning March 17 until further notice.

During this time, our staff will continue to conduct business and provide quality service from alternative work locations. We respectfully request that our constituents also conduct business with our staff remotely (by phone, email, Skype, teleconference, etc.).

Currently, the health of our staff and stakeholders is our main priority. Reducing face-to-face contact is one way the District is doing its part to help our communities recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Call 1-800-423-1476 or visit WaterMatters.org should you have questions or need contact information for a staff member.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time.

Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures.

All 16 counties throughout the District’s boundaries are currently on year-round water conservation measures, with lawn watering limited to twice-per-week unless your city or county has a different schedule or stricter hours. Local governments maintaining once-per-week watering by local ordinance include Hernando, Pasco and Sarasota counties.

Know and follow your local watering restrictions, but don’t water just because it’s your day. Irrigate your lawn when it shows signs of stress from lack of water. Pay attention to signs of stressed grass:

• Grass blades are folded in half lengthwise on at least one-third of your yard.
• Grass blades appear blue-gray.
• Grass blades do not spring back, leaving footprints on the lawn for several minutes after walking on it.

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

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Sarasota Service Office (SSO) will relocate to a new facility effective Monday, March 9.

To facilitate this move, the SSO will be temporarily closed to the public Friday, March 6. Normal office hours will resume Monday, March 9 at the new location.

The address of the new SSO is 78 Sarasota Center Blvd. in Sarasota. All other contact information including email and phone numbers will remain the same.

Please see the map below for reference.

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 February and March at Annuteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County.

Annuteliga Hammock is located east of U.S. Highway 19, north of Centralia Road and south of the county line. Approximately 300 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.

Weekiwachee Preserve is located west of U.S. Highway 19 between Spring Hill and Hernando Beach. Approximately 400 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 plant diversity

•           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 for a quick look at what it’s like along the fire line.

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 February and March at Weekiwachee Preserve in Pasco County.

Weekiwachee Preserve is located north of Hudson, west of U.S. Highway 19 and includes the Aripeka Sandhills (Aripeka Road) tract. Approximately 60 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 plant diversity

•           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 for a quick look at what it’s like along the fire line.