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The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be treating the invasive aquatic plant hydrilla on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of May 12-15.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the river from Rainbow River State Park to the County Road 484 bridge.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post informational signs in the treated areas noting treatment dates and…

Your Questions Answered April 2020 You may have noticed, we haven’t seen much rainfall around the District. Southwest Florida Water Management District Hydrologic Data Manager Granville Kinsman is our resident expert on hydrologic conditions and has details about our current rainfall pattern. Q:  What is the normal rainfall cycle in central Florida? A:  Rainfall is seasonal. Our rainy season is a four-month…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recently completed an evaluation of public hunting facilities on District lands that indicated a 64 percent increase in hunting opportunities.The District owns a total of 331,700 acres with almost half dedicated to public hunting programs. Of the 331,700 acres, there are 133,795 acres committed to agreements with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, totaling 10 sites within six counties.Wildlife…

Working Together The District is among a diverse group of stakeholders that recently joined forces to improve water quality in the Shell Creek and Prairie Creek watersheds, Punta Gorda’s primary water supply source. The stakeholders, including several government agencies, the City of Punta Gorda, citrus growers and agricultural organizations, took part in signing the Shell, Prairie and Joshua Creeks Watershed Management Plan Stakeholders Agreement. By signing the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River in Marion County July 9-12. Hydrilla infestations will be treated from below the C.R. 484 bridge to the confluence of the Withlacoochee River.Hydrilla will be spot treated with the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K. Surface water within the treated area should not be used for irrigation or domestic purposes within seven days of treatment. Water use restrictions do not apply to…

 Photo left: Monica Dorken is ready with a bucket as Susan Harris, Hill-Gustat Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade teacher, holds a puffer fish she captured during their wading tour as Liz Abell, Sun ’n Lake Elementary fourth-grade teacher, looks on. Photo right: Monica Dorken, Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center educator/program coordinator, checks to see what Dorothea Strickland, K–12 science resource teacher, caught in her net. Highlands County…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River July 10-13. Infestations of water lettuce along the river in Marion County will be treated.Treatment involves the application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. River water should not be used for irrigation or domestic purposes for seven days following treatment.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River Jan. 17-19. Infestations of hydrilla immediately upriver of KP Hole Park to the Withlacoochee River in Marion County will be treated.Treatment involves the application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. River water should not be used for irrigation or domestic…

This property contains relatively unaltered natural land. The dominant natural communities are pine flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, scrub, freshwater marsh and hardwood hammocks. The pine overstory in the flatwoods was logged by prior owners, but a high diversity of natural understory species remain. The northern portion of the tract has a higher elevation and drains into the Manatee River. The southern portion contains the freshwater marsh that gives the tract its name. The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the week of March 4-7.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the river from upstream of K.P. Hole Park to the Withlacoochee River.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post informational signs in the treatment areas noting treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions.There are no restrictions on the use of…

Sebring Homeowners Get Irrigation Recommendations The District’s Peace River Basin Board partnered with the Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District to help homeowners improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems. The pilot project brought a mobile irrigation lab to homeowners residing in the city of Sebring. The lab is evaluating residential irrigation systems and developing customized recommendations on irrigation equipment, management…

Students at All Saints Academy in Polk County got to experience the water cycle first-hand on a recent rainy-day field trip to Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. The rain didn’t prevent the fourth- and fifth-grade students from enjoying their field trip. And instead, they used the opportunity to set up their rain gauges. The field trip is funded by the District.  Students also hiked through the property stopping to test water quality and use dip nets to examine…

A Southwest Florida Water Management District project will help a Hillsborough County farm reduce groundwater pumping.The project involves the use of an integrated irrigation system at Balaban Farms, LLC, located in the Hillsborough River watershed. The property drains predominantly to the west, where surface water enters Flint Creek and flows into the Hillsborough River. Hillsborough County is part of a designated water use caution area because it is experiencing…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board recently approved plans to move forward on a restoration project with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to improve water quality in the Palm River.Palm River is located near the Tampa Bypass Canal in central Hillsborough County. The canal stretches from north of Tampa where the Hillsborough River crosses I-75 to McKay Bay. During the canal’s construction in the 1960s, an underwater…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of Jan. 19-21.District workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Tribune to treat small, scattered infestations of water lettuce throughout the river from the Rainbow Springs State Park to the Withlacoochee River.Informational signs will be posted in the treated areas noting treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions.…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be treating the invasive aquatic plant hydrilla on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of March 9-12. District workers will treat scattered infestations on the portion of the river upstream of the Rio-Vista area.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post informational signs in the treated areas noting treatment dates and applicable water…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be treating the invasive aquatic plant hydrilla on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of November 2-5.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the lower portion of the river downstream of the CR 484 bridge.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post informational signs in the treated areas noting treatment dates and applicable…

District introduces new color-coded map to identify water shortage levelsDespite some recent rainfall, a continuing drought is keeping the 16 counties of the Southwest Florida Water Management District on a Water Shortage Alert. The District identifies four possible levels of water shortage, beginning with “moderate” and increasing in intensity through “severe,” “extreme” and “critical.”With river flows, aquifer levels, and…

How do I know if the structure on the waterbody I live near is open or closed?The District has a water control structure dashboard the public can view. Gate status and water levels are updated hourly for each water control structure location.Do all District structures provide flood protection? No, most of the District structures were constructed to hold…