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Whether you were a scientist, diver or photographer, water quality was the hot topic at the recent Your Water, Your World workshop held in Brooksville.  The event, organized by the Hernando County Groundwater Guardian Committee, brought together community leaders such as District Governing Board members Tommy Bronson and George Mann to discuss issues affecting area water quality and ways to restore and protect local water resources. Presenters from various…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be removing vegetation near a portion of the "Flatwoods Park Trail":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/lh-flatwoods.html starting Dec. 11.The work, which involves some tree removal, is required to put the Lower Hillsborough Levee in compliance with requirements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Failure to meet the requirements would mean a loss of possible federal funding in an emergency.Vegetation…

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Aqua Utilities Florida, Inc. will bring reclaimed water to the Corporate Park in Lakewood Ranch.The Lakewood Ranch Reuse Transmission Project includes the construction of 3,900 linear feet of 12-inch reclaimed water transmission main line and upgrading an existing pump station.This project will provide approximately 570,000 gallons of reclaimed water per day for irrigation. This reclaimed water, along…

Florida Communities Trust (FCT), the state’s premier program for helping local communities preserve parks and recreational space, is accepting grant applications until May 7, 2008. An expected $66 million in Florida Forever funds will be available to local governments and nonprofit environmental organizations to acquire land for green space, conservation and recreation purposes. This is the program’s eighth year of being funded. The FCT is administered by the…

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept 18, 2013 – The St. Johns River, South Florida and Southwest Florida water management districts are working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and regional utilities to address near and long-term water supply needs in the central Florida region.Through the "Central Florida Water Initiative ":http://cfwiwater.com/ (CFWI), the agencies are engaging stakeholders in the development…

The Venice area is rich in history and has important archeological sites. In fact, there are traces of settlements from over 10,000 years ago when the Florida peninsula was twice as wide as it is today. At that time, it was an area with vast savannas, grasslands and open prairies.Several thousand years later, the Calusa Indians, who dominated most of South Florida, thrived in the area as an important civilization for many generations. They left canal systems, impressive…

The Southwest Florida Management District and Hillsborough County are working together on a project that will improve water quality in the Tampa Bay watershed.The goal of this project is to reduce the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants in Cedar Lake East by building stormwater treatment systems within three interconnected ponds at Jean Park that drain directly into Cedar Lake East, and ultimately to Tampa Bay. Jean Park is located in the Forest Hills…

More Tips for Saving Water Outdoors

• Do not leave sprinklers unattended. Use a kitchen timer to remind yourself to turn off sprinklers.
• Water slowly to reduce runoff and to allow deep penetration.
• Observe the watering schedule for your address.
• Dig out water-loving weeds and cultivate soil often.
• Use a rain barrel to…

 In 1539, the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto made his first New World landfall at the mouth of the Manatee River, where the fresh water of the river flows into the salt waters of Tampa Bay.Imagine the Spaniard’s amazement when he saw the giant wading birds and tangles of mangroves bordering the Manatee River. Braving the mosquitoes, no-see-’ums and snakes, de Soto and his army set up a campsite near a lush mangrove swamp, which visitors can still see today as…

The Starkey Wilderness Preserve is one of the largest undeveloped tracts in Pasco County and protects sensitive environmental areas in the fast-growing western portion of Pasco County. The preserve consists of three tracts: 

• Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park
• Serenova Tract
• Anclote River Ranch…

The public is invited to learn more about the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) at a public workshop Thursday. The Southwest Florida, South Florida and St. Johns River water management districts are hosting a regional water supply plan public workshop. These districts are working together along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and regional utilities to address short- and long-term water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of St. Petersburg are working together on a project that will reduce flooding in the Childs Park neighborhood, located near 44th St. South.During heavy rain the neighborhood experiences street flooding because the existing drainage system is outdated and undersized.This project is part of a 1994 stormwater management master plan developed by the city and involves constructing a major “trunk” line from…

Beginning April 22, "The Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be reshaping a levee on the north-south portion next to the paved trail at Flatwoods Park, from the Bruce B. Downs entrance where the paved trail turns east. The construction will close the paved recreation trail, but the shell maintenance road will remain open. Visitors are asked to exercise caution near the work area.District staff will be reshaping the…

Members of the Peace River Basin Board and District staff recently set out on a fact-finding mission to the Orlando Wetlands Park. The group is exploring options on how to improve the water quality leaving Lake Hancock. The Wetlands Park is an example of one option under consideration. Lake Hancock is in the headwaters of the Peace River watershed that extends 120 miles downriver to Charlotte Harbor, an estuary of national significance and a Surface Water Improvement…

Environmental enthusiasts of all ages are invited to come out and enjoy a free community fair being held at the Hillsborough River State Park, May 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.The 9th Annual “A River Runs Through It” community fair features watershed education workshops, watershed educational bingo, children’s activities and educational displays. Visitors can also canoe, fish or take a nature hike.The workshops include the award-winning Frog Listening Network,…

A spring is a place where groundwater discharges from the underlying limestone bedrock to the Earth's surface through a natural opening in the ground. In the Springs Coast Watershed, the Floridan aquifer is close to the land surface, which means that the springs are exposed portions of the aquifer! As windows into the aquifer, springs have long been one of Florida's most valued natural and scenic resources. In 1513, the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon came to Florida in…

Conservation LandsThe region’s lands and waters are forever linked by Florida’s natural water cycles. Undeveloped land allows for water recharge to the aquifer and water storage during major storm events. Lands surrounding lakes, rivers, wetlands and estuaries also serve as natural buffers to filter out pollution before it reaches the nearest water body. The Southwest Florida Water Management District and other agencies and governments purchase conservation lands to preserve…

Fresh water from the Peace River watershed is essential to the health of the Charlotte Harbor, the second largest estuary in Florida. The watersheds of the Myakka and Caloosahatchee rivers also feed into the harbor. An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water where fresh water from rivers and streams flows into the ocean. The Charlotte Harbor estuary is 30 miles long by seven miles wide and boasts 219 miles of shoreline.…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) has partnered with the "Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition":http://floridawildlifecorridor.org/, as members of the exploration team travel through the District by walking, paddling or biking their way more than 700 miles from the Everglades Headwaters in Central Florida, across the Panhandle to the Alabama border. The expedition began Jan. 10 at Creek Ranch outside of Orlando. The…