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The Southwest Florida Water Management District is holding a public open house to gather input on future conservation land purchases.The District is evaluating properties that may be eligible for purchase under the Florida Forever Program.The public is invited to attend an open house Sept. 23, 6 to 8 p.m. at the District’s Bartow Service Office, 170 Century Blvd. in Bartow. During the open house residents will be able to view area maps and the list of prospective…

Sixty-nine Hillsborough County teachers are among the record number of educators who applied for and received Splash! mini-grants through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This year the District awarded Splash! mini-grants to 209 educators totaling more than $413,000. That’s 72 more grant recipients than last year.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the increase in awardees to an increase in promotion among the District’…

A former student intern used her District experience to emphasize the importance of fresh, clean water to residents along the Amazon.  Kaylie Kushmer traveled to the Amazon River in Southern Colombia and Brazil last month to help drill wells, run potable water lines to a school and educate children on the hydrologic cycle. Kushmer is the daughter of Danny Kushmer, government affairs program manager.  Kaylie’s trip was in coordination with Wine to Water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board this week recognized two District employees for their roles on a successful restoration project that received national recognition. Senior Environmental Scientist Mark Brown and Professional Engineer Paul Miselis were recently presented with the 2005 Coastal America Partnership Award for their work on the Fort DeSoto Ecosystem Restoration Project. The two also received a congratulatory letter from President…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving the delicate balance between meeting human water needs and…

The public is invited to share ideas concerning potential water resources restoration projects when the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council meets on Oct. 19.The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council will meet at 3 p.m. in Conference Rooms A & B, 1st Floor, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District Headquarters, 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council was formed by the state Legislature in 2003. The…

 Whitehead was recognized at the November Governing Board meeting. Judy Whitehead was recently recognized for her years of service on the Governing Board. “Everyone on this Board is fully dedicated and passionate about what they do,” Whitehead said during the recognition. “I’m very honored to have worked with them.” Whitehead was appointed to the Governing Board in March 2003 and has served as Governing Board chair, vice chair and secretary. She…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is seeking public input about the order in which "minimum flows and levels(Minimum Flows and Levels)":/mfl (MFLs) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as…

  The District conducts “controlled, prescribed burns” on about 20,000 acres of District-managed lands annually. Many of Florida’s native plants and animals are dependent on fire to maintain balance within the ecosystem. Prior to human intervention, lightning-caused fires burned out of control until they were extinguished by rain or reached a natural barrier, such as a river. Due to development and population growth, natural wildfires are no longer allowed to…

Heidi B. McCree was selected during the spring election by unanimous vote as the first female Governing Board chair in the 44-year history of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Other Board officers elected include Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice, vice chair; Judith C. “Judy” Whitehead, treasurer; and Patsy C. Symons, secretary. “I want to thank the Board for this honor and look forward to carrying on an important legacy,” McCree said. “We have achieved great…

Basin Board: Manasota Basin Board Term: First appointed March 26, 2001. Currently in her third term, which expires March 1, 2010 Occupation: Land Planner Current residence: Manatee County Hometown: Saginaw, Michigan Reason you applied to be a Basin Board member: Opportunity to get involved in one of the most important planning issues…

Judy Whitehead, Governing Board chair, presents the outgoing chair, Jerry Rice, with a plaque honoring his service to the District. The District’s Governing Board recently recognized the outgoing chair, Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice, for his dedication to public service as a member of the Governing Board and the Withlacoochee River Basin Board. “Throughout the years I worked with Jerry on the Board, I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns January through March on the Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County.Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2 miles east of Dunnellon and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando and is bounded by County Road 484 on the north, State Road 200 on the southeast…

Above left: A certified custom riverfront home in Hernando County. Right: Governing Board Member Ron Oakley, right, and Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader, left, help Ricky Chiles break ground on a Florida Water Star℠ Gold home. The Florida Water Star℠ Gold (FWSG) program is certifying more homes and getting more builders involved in the…

Parcels With No Water Resource Benefits May Be Offered for Sale The District is hoping to increase efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars by returning surplus parcels of land to the private sector. The Governing Board asked staff members to assess the District’s land holdings, looking for properties that may not be needed. The District protects more than 436,000 acres of land within its boundaries. District lands include natural floodplains, aquifer recharge areas…

*WHO:* Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard, Jr., Department of Environmental Protection State Representative Jimmie T. Smith, District 43 Chairman Carlos Beruff, Southwest Florida Water Management District Dennis Damato, Citrus County Commission, District 1*WHAT:* The Chassahowitzka Springs sediment removal project began in May 2013 and resulted in the removal of approximately 3,000 cubic yards of material from the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, St. Johns River Water Management District and South Florida Water Management District have scheduled a virtual joint public meeting at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 1, to solicit stakeholder input on each District’s annual update of their priority list and schedule for the establishment of minimum flows and water levels as well as water reservations.Participants can join the virtual meeting at…

The Citrus County Task Force is inviting the public to a stakeholders conference to discuss Citrus County water resources.The conference is being held Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Citrus Springs Community Center, located at 1570 W. Citrus Springs Blvd. in Citrus Springs.During the conference representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportation, Citrus…

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Management District and the city of Belleair Beach will reduce flooding and improve water quality.The project will upgrade the city’s stormwater management system near 12th Street. The roadways and stormwater infrastructure in the area were built before current water quality programs so the area experiences heavy sediment and pollution loading from Gulf Boulevard. The sediment-laden runoff flows directly into an outfall pipe…

About 70 volunteers recently spent a morning cleaning invasive algae out of Weeki Wachee Springs in Hernando County. The volunteer event was a coordinated effort by the District and local rotary clubs to remove a blue-green algae known as Lyngbya. This event was part of a long-term maintenance plan for a District restoration project completed in 2009 designed to help keep the river healthy. While not all algae are bad, this quick spreading species can rapidly invade…