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St. Petersburg Attorney Represents Pinellas Jeffrey M. Adams Jeffrey M. Adams was sworn into office at the District’s April Governing Board meeting. Adams, an attorney who lives in St. Petersburg, was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to represent Pinellas County on the District’s Governing Board. He will also serve as the co-chair of the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board. An Illinois native, Adams graduated from Carl Sandburg…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Monday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center, located at 98 1st Ave. NW in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for lakes Allen, Virginia and…

Governing Board Chair H. Paul Senft Jr. After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, H. Paul Senft Jr. entered the U.S. Air Force Reserve, where his education was put to good use. “The Air Force taught me to be a plumber,” said the new District Governing Board chair. “You could say they started me in the water business.” Paul smiled. Quiet and unassuming in appearance, Paul combines a wry sense of humor with a competitive drive to excel, a…

Visitors of the 13th Annual Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival will have the opportunity to experience water conservation in action when they stop in and use the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s water conservation restroom station.The festival is being held March 10 and 11 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala. The office is located at 2232 N.E. Jacksonville Rd.Community festivals allow the District to spread the word…

Year-Round Water Conservation Measures Return Elsewhere Due to lingering drought effects and water resources not recovering as quickly as other areas, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted today to maintain once-per-week lawn watering and other restrictions in the District's northern region, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Levy and portions of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. This order in Marion County would be limited to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will review the Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, at Tuesday’s meeting.The water shortage order was declared earlier this month by the District’s Executive Director David L. Moore following a lengthy presentation by staff outlining the depressed hydrologic conditions. The order went into effect Jan. 16 and includes restrictions that apply to the…

Scientists with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program are optimistic about an overall increase in the growth of seagrass in Tampa Bay, as well as nearby Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and St. Joseph Sound. Seagrass generally grows in waters less than six feet deep and is an important barometer of a bay’s health because it requires relatively clean water to flourish. Seagrass beds serve as “nurseries of the bay,” sheltering and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Town of Redington Shores recently signed an amendment to an existing agreement to move forward on phases two through four of a project that will improve water quality and reduce flooding.Phases two and three include upgrading the stormwater system by adding inlets and storm piping, a Continuous Deflective Separation (CDS) unit, which will treat stormwater runoff, and the associated roadway reconstruction. A CDS unit…

A cooperatively funded project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Manatee County Audubon Society will restore almost 10 acres of freshwater wetlands and uplands habitat, which will improve water quality, act as a buffer against erosion and provide exceptional habitat for wading birds.The FELTS Preserve, located in northern Manatee County, consists of approximately 29 acres. The preserve drains into Terra Ceia Bay, and ultimately Tampa Bay,…

The 11th Annual Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival is the place where gardeners will have the opportunity to learn about water conservation in several ways. The festival is being held March 12 and 13 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala.Gardeners can learn about water conservation through micro-irrigation and rain barrel workshops. Other workshop topics include weed control, pest control, types of fertilizer, native plants, and how to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Tuesday, April 9, at 5:30 p.m. to collect public comment on the proposed minimum levels for Lake Tulane and Lake Verona in Highlands County.Members of the public may join the meeting via Microsoft Teams at https://bit.ly/minimumlevels. The Google Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to modify the tightened turfgrass restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, which will allow builders to sod and residents to replace lawns under a specific set of conditions.District staff met with members of the sod industry last week to discuss solutions to the extreme water shortage in the Tampa Bay area as well as the serious economic conditions affecting the sod…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David Moore modified a water shortage emergency order Wednesday that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Tampa Bypass Canal to help the City of Tampa meet its demand for potable water.The modified executive order, which is in effect until…

Construction is under way on a cooperative project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Dunedin to restore approximately 30 acres of wetlands within the city’s Hammock Park.Preliminary clearing is being done at select project areas within the park. Hammock Park is located north of downtown Dunedin and east of Alternate U.S. 19 and is one of the last remnants of forest that was typical of this coastal region before the area was…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David Moore signed a water shortage emergency order 08-043 Thursday that will allow Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Tampa Bypass Canal to help the City of Tampa meet its demand for potable water.Tampa relies primarily on its Hillsborough River Reservoir to meet the water needs of 656,000 residents. As of Oct. 14, the reservoir’s level was below 20.5 feet, a level not normally seen until the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to invite local schools to participate in this year’s World Water Monitoring Day activities.World Water Monitoring Day is actually a month-long, international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. The annual event invites students to monitor the quality of their local rivers, streams, estuaries, and other waterbodies from September 18 to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement for a 300-acre parcel of land located within the District’s Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve. This property will be added to the 142,000 acres protected by the District through ownership or conservation easements within the preserve.The conservation easement is being purchased for $1.125 million with funds from the Florida Forever Trust…

The Southwest Florida Management District’s Governing Board approved funding Tuesday to use the remaining funds from a project that evaluates alternatives for reducing flooding and improving water quality within the Brooker Creek Watershed to do the same for three adjacent watersheds.The Brooker Creek Watershed is approximately 30 square miles located within Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. This area has experienced significant hydrologic changes due to rapid…

The Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering to one-day-per-week throughout the 16 counties within the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is in effect.The restrictions apply to the use of water from public and private water utilities as well as the use of all wells and surface water sources (ponds, rivers, etc.). The order will remain in place until July 31 unless otherwise modified or rescinded by the executive director or the District Governing Board.…