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

The District will hold a virtual public workshop at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28. Members of the public can join the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting, please click on this link to register https://bit.ly/MFLList2025. Use of the Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Teams.

To join the meeting by telephone only, dial (786) 749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 551 553 56#. 

A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources or environment. A water reservation defines a quantity of water set aside from the water use permitting process for the protection of fish and wildlife or public health and safety. The District’s Governing Board establishes MFLs and reservations 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 2024 is available on the District’s website here. The draft 2025 list will be published on the site following the Governing Board’s Aug. 26 meeting and will be considered for approval at the Board’s Oct. 22 meeting.

Written comments on the draft priority list and schedule may be submitted to Gabe Herrick, Chief Environmental Scientist, at gabe.herrick@watermatters.org or to 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL, 34604, no later than Sept. 7. 

The 40-acre Chassahowitzka River Campground, which was purchased as part of a much larger conservation area, has been a popular recreation area for many years but has not been used for conservation purposes.

The Campground sustained extensive damage during the 2024 hurricane season. The front deck and campground store were severely damaged and present a risk to public safety. The cost to restore the campground and continue operating it, along with other considered repairs, is not an effective way to utilize taxpayer dollars.

As a result, the District has made the decision to close the campground effective Oct. 1 to complete the assessment of damages. While no final decisions have been made, the evaluation may result in a staff recommendation to the District’s Governing Board to place the campground for sale as surplus. Any recommendation to sell the campground would involve opportunities for public input and be subject to the Governing Board's final approval.

If approved, proceeds from the sale of the Campground would be used for the purchase of conservation lands to protect critical ecosystems.

The District will continue to own and manage the 5,700 acres of the Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps, which meets the District’s conservation objectives by protecting the river ecosystem and wildlife resources. The District owns 34,994 acres in Citrus County and 98% is available for public recreation.

Citrus County will continue to operate the parking area and boat ramp, ensuring the public’s continued recreational access to the river.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host a career and internship fair to share information about the many career fields and employment opportunities at the District.

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at the District’s Sarasota Service Office, located at 78 Sarasota Center Blvd. in Sarasota.

The District offers a wide variety of careers and student internships, including administrative, business, accounting, finance, maintenance and trades, engineering, information technology, procurement, legal, environmental science and more. District staff will be on-site and available to speak with individuals interested in opportunities. 

The District is a government agency that employs a diverse workforce from across a wide variety of disciplines, including administrative, business and finance, trades work, mechanical, heavy equipment operation, well drilling, natural sciences and engineering, and many more. 

To see available opportunities, please visit WaterMatters.org/Careers.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a proposed rolled-back millage rate of 0.1831 mill for the fiscal year 2026 budget.

The millage rate is 4.1% lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.1909 mill, a savings to taxpayers of more than $5.9 million.

For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $18.31 a year, or about $1.53 per month.

The total fiscal year 2026 proposed budget for the District is $256.2 million and includes $114.3 million for Cooperative Funding Initiatives and District grants.

Through these cooperative funding partnerships, District funds will be leveraged resulting in a total regional investment of approximately $217 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.

The District will hold a tentative budget hearing on Sept. 9 at 5:01 p.m. at the Tampa Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301.

The Governing Board will vote on the final budget on Sept. 23 at 5:01 p.m., at the Tampa Office.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, July 22 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.”