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The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on the section of the Braden River south of Highway 70 during the week of October 26-30.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river water should not be used for drinking, watering livestock or…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, launched the Chassahowitzka River Education Campaign to inform river visitors about the recreational best practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts.  Recreational activities can have a direct impact on the health of the river. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the river have trampled vegetation and eroded riverbanks.…

Residents asked to conserve by following their local watering restrictions and checking their irrigation systems and timersThe Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Phase I Water Shortage due to dry conditions throughout the region. The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has implemented the first project in the Lower Hillsborough River recovery effort.The District began pumping 11 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water, or 7.1 million gallons per day (gpd), from the Tampa Bypass Canal to the Hillsborough River Reservoir on December 31 as part of the Tampa Bypass Canal Diversion Project. In turn, 8.25 cfs, or 5.3 million gallons per day, is being pumped from the reservoir to the base of the dam…

Please read these important details: 

• If requesting Splash! grant funds to support an on-site or virtual field trip, please select a program (not just location) from this list.
• Field trip locations must be one hour or less drive time from your school. Notice the counties listed in parenthesis next to the field trip programs. This indicates that most schools within that county are likely to meet the travel requirement.  
• Notice the grade…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board Thursday adopted a fiscal year 2007 (FY2007) millage rate of 0.265 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2007 is $10,214,705, which is an increase of $1,558,584 from the approved FY2006 budget. The main reason for this increase is higher property values. FY2007 will run from Oct. 1, 2006, through Sept. 30, 2007.The Withlacoochee River Basin Board area covers…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled hunters and volunteer guidesWhat: The District has partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this hog hunt, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors.When: Saturday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m.Where: The hunt will…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) is gathering input to better identify flooding risks in the Peace Creek watershed.The District is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). As part of the effort, updates are being made to the floodplain information for the Peace Creek watershed.The District is holding an open house in Polk County to present…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a plan to complete a comprehensive study of the Withlacoochee River watershed. The ongoing study was being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) until federal funding dried up. Over the next three fiscal years the District will budget approximately $2 million to complete the study tasks.The first portion of the study that identified water resource issues in the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the months of October through December on the District’s Myakka River Project property. The property is located between I-75 and U.S. Hwy. 41 and between Myakka River and the North Port. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 1,000 acres of land may be burned in small, manageable…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during January and February on the District’s Myakka River Project property. The property is located between I-75 and U.S. Hwy. 41 and between Myakka River and the North Port. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 1,000 acres of land may be burned in small, manageable units.According to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be holding a series of hog hunts on District lands. Prospective hunters can purchase permits on the District’s web site at www.WaterMatters.org/hoghunts beginning Oct. 13.The cost is $50 for each permit. Permits will be available through 5 p.m. on Nov. 3. However, there are a limited number of permits available and permits will be issued on a first come, first serve basis.Hog hunts will be held on the following…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Cheryl Moffat for her outstanding water resources education project, “Water Pollution, Conservation and Wetland Importance.” A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.Moffat’s 2007–2008 Splash! mini-grant project helped Avon Park High School students determine pollution levels at local…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days of April and May on the Deep Creek property.The property is located along the Charlotte and DeSoto County line, with most of the property in DeSoto County. The parcel is east of Kings Highway, also known as County Road 769, west of the Peace River and north of Deep Creek Estates.Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small,…

A study of the fish and invertebrates in the Weeki Wachee River estuary will help the Southwest Florida Water Management District in establishing minimum flows for the Weeki Wachee River.Aimed at determining the freshwater needs of biological communities associated with the river, the study is being conducted by the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science.Researchers have been collecting fish and invertebrates, such as pink shrimp and blue crab, on a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Winter Haven recently signed an agreement to begin a master plan that will identify ways to use reclaimed water and conserve the groundwater supply.“The master plan will ultimately recommend how the City of Winter Haven should focus its efforts to best accomplish its goals and use its reclaimed water reuse resources from its two wastewater treatment plants,” said Tammy Antoine, District staff water conservation…

At its June 9 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2547 mill, which is the same rate as the current fiscal year. The Hillsborough River Basin Board area covers portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.The proposed budget for FY2009 is $20,020,887 which is an increase of $1,971,863 from the approved FY2008 budget. The increase is primarily due…

At its August 16 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.285 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $15,875,555, which represents an increase of $4,058,230 over the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values and revenue from the state’s newly created Water Protection and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on portions of the Braden River April 30 through May 3. The treatment areas are located south of State Road 70 in Manatee County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs that display treatment dates and water use applicable restrictions. Treated river water should not be…