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 occur on Oct. 6, 2020, at 9 a.m.
• Includes six hunts that occur November through December 2020.
• 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. We no longer award free admission into Phase 2 for our top two producers of the Phase 1 hunt.

Phase 2 Hunts

• Registration will occur on Dec. 8, 2020, at 9 a.m.
• Includes six hunts that occur January and February 2021.
• 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 contacted between March and October 2021 to take part in feral hog management hunts on an as-needed basis, free of charge.

Phase 3 “As-Needed” Management Hunts

• Includes management hunts that may occur March through October 2021.
• 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 2021.

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. 6 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 12th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 625 hogs on 13 different tracts of land throughout the District.

On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board adopted a $183.5 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2021, including more than $65.7 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 FY2021 budget include:

• $20.9 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses.
• $15.9 million for springs initiatives to restore springs and spring-fed rivers to improve water quality and clarity as well as restore natural habitats.
• $26.3 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 $119 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects.

The adopted FY2021 millage rate is 0.2669 mill, 4.7% lower than the current fiscal year which will help lessen the tax burden for Florida residents by saving taxpayers approximately $6 million in property taxes. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $26.69 a year, or about $2.22 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is collecting public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Cypress, Garden and Halfmoon lakes in Hillsborough County.

In accordance with the directive in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Emergency Order to conduct all public meetings electronically, the District will provide virtual outreach now through Sept. 8 at WaterMatters.org/LakeMFLs. The webpage includes the draft technical reports, frequently asked questions and a comment card for each lake to submit virtually.

This virtual outreach is an opportunity for local government, residents and others to provide input regarding the proposed minimum and guidance levels. Information will be summarized and made available to the District’s Governing Board. At the Board’s October meeting, Board members will choose whether to recommend adoption of the minimum levels 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 proposed minimum levels or to submit written comments by email, please contact:

Cypress Lake – TJ Venning at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4242 or TJ.Venning@watermatters.org

Garden Lake – Mark Hurst at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4271 or Mark.Hurst@watermatters.org

Halfmoon Lake - Donna Campbell at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4236 or Donna.Campbell@watermatters.org

The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the District. Minimum flows are established to protect streams and rivers from impacts associated with ground water and surface water withdrawals, while minimum levels are established to protect lakes and wetlands. Minimum flows and levels serve as guidelines for the District’s permitting programs and for development of water resource projects.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect a new slate of officers for the 2020-2021 term.

Kelly Rice was elected chair of the Governing Board. Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and is a small business owner involved in real estate, agriculture and health care. Rice was appointed to the Governing Board in September 2015.

Joel Schleicher was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties and has used his vast knowledge as a successful entrepreneur to challenge the status quo while giving back to the community via various organizations. Schleicher was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2017.

Rebecca Smith was elected secretary of the Governing Board. Smith represents Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and is the president and chief executive officer for both the A.D. Morgan Corporation, a construction firm, and WoofGang Solutions, LLC, a facilities management software solution company. Smith was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2017.

Jim Murphy was elected treasurer of the Governing Board. Murphy represents Polk County and has 30 years of experience in the fluid handling industry. He is a Florida Certified General Contractor and a member of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers. Murphy was appointed to the Governing Board in July 2017.

The new officers took office immediately following the August Governing Board meeting.

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) received more than $2.4 million in funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to assist with aquifer testing, feasibility, and preliminary design for the planned Southeast and West Polk Lower Floridan Aquifer (LFA) wellfields in Polk County. The projects are cooperatively funded between the District and the Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC). Traditional water sources are nearing their sustainable limits in Polk County and alternative water sources will need to be developed to meet the projected needs.

"Addressing water quantity challenges requires aggressively pursuing projects that will develop the water supply resources needed to meet our state's growing demand," said DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein. "DEP is proud to partner on these projects that will help ensure a safe and sustainable water supply for this region."

The Southeast LFA wellfield is planned for a location near the eastern boundary of the District in Polk County south of Highway 60. The water treatment facility site is north of Highway 60, and up to 15 wells will be spread along a 10-mile line south of the highway. The goal of this project is to use the brackish groundwater from the LFA in Southeast Polk County as an alternative water supply. The Southeast wellfield is a permitted supply, and after treatment through reverse osmosis, may deliver up to 30 million gallons per day (mgd) of high-quality drinking water to member governments of the PRWC.

The West Polk LFA brackish water treatment facility site is planned for a location within the City of Lakeland, south of Interstate 4, near the existing T.B. Williams water treatment facility site. The wellfield may have up to 19 wells within or near the city. The goal of this project is to utilize the brackish groundwater from the LFA in western Polk County as an alternative water supply. After treatment, the West Polk wellfield may deliver up to 15 mgd of high-quality drinking water to the member governments of the PRWC.

The District’s Governing Board has committed $65 million to incentivize the development of regional alternative water supplies within Polk County. To date, the District, FDEP and PRWC have provided more than $20 million in funding to assist with exploratory drilling, aquifer and water quality testing, and the conceptual and preliminary design stages of these projects.

The PRWC includes elected officials from 16 member governments, consisting of 15 municipalities and Polk County Government. Their role is to proactively identify alternative water resources and projects that ensure the future sustainability of the regional water supply.