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Five Polk County projects that are expected to reach approximately 27,100 residents were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants offer up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 32 grants Districtwide. This is the 12th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant…

Tampa Bay Water Service Area Remains at Highest Alert Level The District’s Governing Board voted in June to continue the Modified Phase IV (or Critical) water shortage restrictions for potable water use in the Tampa Bay Water service area until July 31, 2009. “While the region is out of the immediate crisis, we are still contending with the effects of the long-term drought,” said David Moore, District executive director. “The May rainfall helped, but the summer…

Fifteen Sarasota County teachers are among the record number of educators who applied for and received Splash! mini-grants through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This year the District awarded Splash! mini-grants to 209 educators totaling more than $413,000. That’s 72 more grant recipients than last year.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the increase in awardees to an increase in promotion among the District’s…

Nine Citrus County teachers are among the record number of educators who applied for and received Splash! mini-grants through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This year the District awarded Splash! mini-grants to 209 educators totaling more than $413,000. That’s 72 more grant recipients than last year.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the increase in awardees to an increase in promotion among the District’s school…

Governor Jeb Bush recently appointed several members to seven of the eight Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Some of the Basin Board members are reappointments and some of them are newly appointed.Alafia River Basin Board:*Cheryl Johnson of Brandon was reappointed. She is a real estate associate with Tampa Electric Company. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.*Jean C. Tort of Ruskin was reappointed to the Alafia…

At its August 19 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.195 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $13,321,519, which is an increase of $3,126,709 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values, increases in funding from local governments for Cooperative Funding projects, and…

At its June 10 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.195 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The tentative budget for FY2006 is $10,488,788, which is an increase of $293,978 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values. FY2006 will run from Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006.For…

Fifty-two Hillsborough County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Hillsborough County to the strong partnership with Hillsborough County Schools. Four school district staff serve as the District's liaisons to teachers: Pam Caffery, middle school…

Fifty-one Hillsborough County teachers and three private school 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…

At its June 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 14 percent decrease in ad valorem…

At its June 6 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1827 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Peace River Basin Board area includes Hardee, DeSoto and portions of Polk, Highlands and Charlotte counties.This proposed millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the five county property appraisers, will result…

Dazed But Not Defeated   West-central Florida was rocked against the ropes by a one-two punch combination — Hurricanes Charley and Frances. Charley was a quick, compact, uppercut with winds in excess of 145 mph ramming into the underbelly of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and ripping through the rural Peace River Basin. Then, still reeling from Charley, the area was slammed by Frances, a large, infuriatingly slow but devastating roundhouse…

Above: Jerry and Pam Rice on vacation with their grandchildren. Right: Rice joined the District’s Governing Board in March 2003. The District’s new Governing Board chair knew early in life that his future lay in the citrus industry. Born in Avon Park and raised in Polk County, Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice began his career at an early age. “I started working when I was very young. My dad worked in the citrus groves. My mom worked in the packinghouse. I did a…

Tampa Bay Water service area remains at highest alert levelThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted to continue the Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions for potable water use in the Tampa Bay Water service area until July 31, 2009.The Board also voted to extend Phase III restrictions for Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties until July 31, 2009 and to extend the Phase II restrictions for the remaining…

Restrictions eased on car washing, pressure washing, fountains and air-conditioningThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted to modify and continue the Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions for potable water use in theTampa Bay Water service area until August 31, 2009.Under the revised Phase IV order, lawn watering remains limited to the same once-per-week schedule from midnight to 4 a.m. for properties less than one…

At its June 5 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.1827 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Peace River Basin Board area includes Hardee, DeSoto and portions of Polk, Highlands and Charlotte counties.This proposed millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the five county property appraisers will result…

Region at highest alert level and subject to modified Phase IV water restrictionsThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted to enact Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions for potable water use in the Tampa Bay Water service area. These are the District’s highest level of water shortage measures.The Tampa Bay Water’s six member governments include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties as well as the…

Twenty-one Polk County teachers and four private school 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…

Ten Hillsborough County projects were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 49 grants Districtwide for a total of $171,444. This is the 10th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to…