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At its June 15 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.285 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.Further, the Basin Board authorized the executive director to recalculate its millage rate to reflect the mandated changes in revenue prescribed by the Legislature.The proposed budget for FY2008 is $17,609,836, which is a decrease of $3.46 million…

At its June 13 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2007 (FY2007) millage rate of 0.285 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The proposed budget for FY2007 is $18,453,013, which is an increase of $2,577,458 from the approved FY2006 budget. The increase is primarily due to proceeds from the sale of surplus land. FY2007 will run from Oct. 1, 2006, through Sept. 30, 2007.…

Your Questions Answered February 2022 Q: What is water quality and why is it important? A: Water quality is a description of the condition of water. Water quality can refer to the chemical, physical and biological condition of water, including the suitability of the water to be used for a specific purpose like drinking, recreation or support of wildlife. The quality of our water is important because it has a direct impact on people…

At its August 3 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.400 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $38,655,311, which is an increase of $6,614,869 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to ad valorem tax revenue from increased property values and revenue from the state’s newly created Water…

At its August 2 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.235 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $8,240,442, which represents an increase of $2,119,438 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…

At its August 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2005 (FY2005) millage rate of 0.400 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget forFY 2005 is $32,040,442, which is an increase of $5,217,586 from the approvedFY2004 budget.FY2005 will run from Oct. 1, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2005. The increase in the budget is due to additional ad valorem property taxes resulting from…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) may need to activate the Tampa Bypass Canal system in response to heavy rains in the Tampa Bay area. Boat barriers were put in place where I-75 crosses the Hillsborough River, restricting navigation in that area. The Hillsborough River is nearing an elevation of 25 feet above sea level, which triggers the Army Corps of Engineers activation level of the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention (LHFDA) area. This involves…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's ":http://www.WaterMatters.org Governing Board yesterday approved funding for a project that will reduce groundwater withdrawals in Polk County by an estimated annual average savings of 21,000 gallons per day.John Crum Lake McLeod Blueberries will be reimbursed up to $41,810 for a surface water irrigation reservoir and tailwater recovery system at its 20-acre blueberry farm. The property is located within the Southern Water…

This project restored habitat, including critical manatee habitat, and will help prevent future erosion of sediment into the spring. The Three Sisters Springs Canal Stabilization Project is complete and is helping to reduce erosion and restore habitat.  The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages water access to the springs, which is limited during manatee season from Nov. 15 – April 1. This is to protect manatees seeking refuge in the warm waters of…

Gov. Charlie Crist on March 22 appointed Richard Matassa and Fritz Musselmann to the District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board. Matassa, from Spring Hill in Hernando County, is the managing director of A Civil Design Group. He was appointed to succeed Elaine Perry. His term ends March 1, 2012. Musselmann, from Spring Hill in Pasco County, was the director of the District’s Land Resources Department from 1981 until…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to extend the currentWater Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, until Sept. 30.The originaldeclaration of water shortage, which was…

Gov. Charlie Crist on March 22 appointed Richard Matassa and Fritz Musselmann to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's "Coastal Rivers Basin Board(Coastal Rivers Basin Board)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/basinboards/coastal.php.Matassa is from Spring Hill in Hernando County. He is the managing director of A Civil Design Group, and was appointed to succeed Elaine Perry. His term ends March 1, 2012. Musselmann is from Spring Hill in Pasco County. He was the…

Who:Temple Terrace Riverfest event staff, volunteers and the publicWhat:The 7th Annual Temple Terrace Riverfest is an educational event offering families the opportunity to learn about the Hillsborough River and the surrounding environment. The event includes a Canoe Challenge race, hands-on exhibits, local performances and children’s fishing.The Riverfest is part of “Hillsborough River Watershed Awareness Week,” which is sponsored by the Southwest Florida Water Management…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on the Braden River during the week of June 7-11.District workers will treat portions of the river south of SR 70.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations, and post warning signs in the treatment areas noting treatment dates and water use restrictions. Treated river water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, launched the Weeki Wachee River Education Campaign to inform river visitors about the recreational best management practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts. A recent ecologically based study found direct links between recreational use on the river and environmental damage. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the…

Hotels, motels and restaurants in Charlotte County can conserve water with the help of three Southwest Florida Water Management District programs.The District’s Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water CHAMP), Water Program for Restaurant Outreach (Water PRO), and Charlotte County Toilet Rebate Program are designed to help businesses conserve water through training and retrofitting.Water CHAMPWater CHAMP is the District’s linens and towel reuse program…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is extending a water shortage emergency authorization that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Alafia River to continue to fill the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.As of Sept. 15, the reservoir had about 11.2 billion gallons in storage. When full, the reservoir stores approximately 15 billion gallons of water.The executive order, which was scheduled to expire Sept. 30, has been extended through Dec…