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Visitors can experience Florida’s freshwater springs through a variety of outdoor activities, musical entertainment and guest speakers during the 8th Annual Marion County Springs Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Silver River State Park.Experts will speak about Florida’s springs and springs protection, as well as Marion County’s irrigation and fertilizer ordinances and Florida-friendly landscaping.In addition to the guest speakers,…

table(webalert). |*Who:*|The Southwest Florida Water Management District||*What:*|A day of educational speakers, booths and tours at Rainbow Springs State Park to promote Florida springs awareness.Events include a basin bus tour, headsprings snorkel tour and ranger guided hike.||*When:*|Saturday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.||*Where:*|Rainbow Springs State Park, 19158 SW 81st Place Road, Dunnellon, FL 3443||*How Much:*|Park admission is $2 per person, children 6 and under are…

Don’t miss Hillsborough County’s hiking spree featuring numerous District lands. The hiking spree encourages residents and visitors to get out and explore the county’s parks. Edward Medard Conservation Park,…

Heidi McCree, Governing Board member; Christine Wolden, environmental scientist; and David L. Moore, District executive director, watch as Catherine’s husband, Eric, and members of the Florida National Guard raise the flag at the Tampa Service Office. District employees remember our soldiers serving overseas. That thoughtfulness was recently recognized with a moving flag ceremony at the District’s Tampa Service Office. Sgt. Eric Wolden, a member of the 53rd…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $119,000 in grants to 65 schools 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…

 Sallie Parks, Governing Board member, collects samples from Brooker Creek. Governing Board member Sallie Parks is a “hands-on” person when it comes to water resources. Parks’ dedication to the environment was clear during a Watershed Leadership Program held at the Brooker Creek Preserve. The education section of the Pinellas County Environmental Lands Division developed the Watershed Leadership Program to help decision-makers and elected officials…

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 26, 2013 – The draft Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) Regional Water Supply Plan is available for public review and comment at CFWIwater.com. Comments can be provided online or by mail and email. Details are available on the web page. The comment period will close on Jan. 10, 2014.A public workshop will be held to discuss the draft plan. The workshop will include a presentation and an informal, open-house format. CFWI experts will be available to…

The Florida Audubon Society has recognized a Southwest Florida Water Management District employee for his extraordinary contribution to saving places that make Florida special.Henry Dean, Audubon Board member and former Executive Director of the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts, presented the Florida Audubon Special Places Award to Fritz Musselmann, land resources director, during Audubon’s Annual Assembly.The award was presented to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted unanimously today to approve two agreements that will pave the way for Weeki Wachee Springs to become a state park.The Governing Board approved a settlement agreement between Weeki Wachee Springs and the District that will end four years of litigation between the two parties. In addition, the Board approved an agreement between Weeki Wachee Springs and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District, United States Geological Survey, the American Ground Water Trust and middle and high school teachers from Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota and Sumter countiesWhat: The goal of this free, two-day workshop for teachers is to increase water awareness among teachers and their students so that they understand the role of science and technology in meeting water supply challenges and are empowered to play…

The District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday for the latest slate of officers for the 2026-2027 term.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 new officers are:…

Ten Citrus County teachers are among the educators who were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.This year 206 "Splash! grants(Splash! School Grants)":/education/schoolgrants were awarded to educators across "the District's 16-county region":/data/map.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Citrus County to the…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staffWhat: The District is installing approximately 3,000 aquatic plants along the Weeki Wachee River headspring.When: Thursday, April 9, 10 a.m.Where: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 6131 Commercial Way, Spring HillWhy: This is the final phase of a restoration project that also involved removing sediments, Lyngbya algae and other invasive vegetation to help improve the water quality.As part of the project, approximately 101…

The District has started restoring an area of the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park canoe launch in Hernando County this week. The restored area will benefit the Weeki Wachee spring system by reducing stormwater pollutants and sediment loading entering the Weeki Wachee River.  Nutrient levels have increased in Weeki Wachee Springs for the past several decades. The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is about to begin a three-year restoration project at J.B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve. The project will restore 951 acres of uplands, including degraded scrub and sand hill communities.Sand pine has taken over much of the area due to the lack of fire, which naturally maintains the quality of a habitat. In addition, decades of vegetative debris has built up, leaving the area at risk for uncontrollable wildfires.This…

Various views of the Tampa Bypass/Harney Park site, as well as Marilyn Samaha accepting the District’s first Land Resources Volunteer of the Year Award from Fritz Musselmann, land resources director. The countless hours Marilyn Samaha spent developing a recreational partnership among the District, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bypass Canal Rowing Council (TBCRC), which she created and serves as president, recently earned her the District’s first Land…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2023-2024 term. Ed Armstrong was elected chair of the Governing Board. Armstrong represents Pinellas County and is an attorney with Hill Ward Henderson in Clearwater. Armstrong was appointed to the Governing Board in June 2014 and was reappointed in October 2020 and June 2022. His term expires March 1, 2026. Michelle Williamson was elected vice chair of the…

Bartow, Fla., July 11, 2017 — Drilling more than half a mile below ground to find new sources of water in the Lower Florida aquifer (LFA). Finding new ways to reuse reclaimed water. Combining stormwater and reclaimed water to build a sustainable supply. These are some of the innovative projects the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) is developing to meet the growing water needs of the five-county Central Florida region while also…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted unanimously today to approve an agreement that will further pave the way for Weeki Wachee Springs to become a state park.The Governing Board approved the settlement agreement between Weeki Wachee Springs and the District that will end four years of litigation between the two parties. The agreement calls for Weeki Wachee Springs to become at state park on Nov. 1, 2008. However, under the terms of the…

Who: Representatives from Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department, Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program staff and volunteersWhat: As part of the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup, the District’s SWIM Program staff is helping coordinate a volunteer work day at Marsh Creek in Ruskin. More than 100 volunteers are needed to help…