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On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board adopted a $211.7 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2023, including approximately $90.6 million for the Cooperative Funding Initiative and District grants for water resources projects. The budget reflects the District’s commitment to protect Florida’s water resources and to…

Kendra Antoine and Sylvia Durell, senior communications coordinators, with their Crystal Awards. Kendra Antoine and Sylvia Durell, senior communications coordinators, received top honors from the Florida Government Communicators Association. Two District communications projects were recognized at the annual Florida Government Communicators Association (FGCA) Awards Banquet. The Crystal Awards recognize businesses, community groups, individuals and agencies…

Members of the Withlacoochee River Basin Board and the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council recently surveyed the progress of the four-step, multimillion dollar Lake Panasoffkee restoration project. The Lake Panasoffkee restoration project involves dredging approximately 8.2 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake, which will improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation. The project will also restore approximately 920 acres of…

Two Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) projects received funding from the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) conservation cost-share program. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) will provide $151,758 to pay for these projects. The following projects, located in Polk County, are estimated to save approximately 49,500 million gallons per day:

• The Polk Regional Water Cooperative’s rebate program will offer various…

The District is nearing completion of its effort to upgrade the datum, or starting point, used to record water level elevation. The upgrade will improve accuracy of water elevation, which is measured in feet above the mean sea level.Staff are projected to finish the upgrade by completing the southern regions of the District in 2016.  The datum is being upgraded from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988…

Whether they were operating structures, providing needed equipment or talking to citizens, staff members were busy the past month responding to the record rainfall received in parts of the District. The rain event affected nearly every department at the District. The record rain that occurred from July 26 to Aug. 7 had many employees working around the clock. And nearly daily rainfall in some parts of the District has continued to keep staff busy.  Robert…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center, located at 98 1st Avenue NW in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Sapphire Lake in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Sapphire Lake. Minimum levels…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at the Austin Davis Public Library, located at 17808 Wayne Road, in Odessa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Calm in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lake Calm. Minimum levels…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, July 9, at 5:45 p.m. at the Lutz Branch Library, located at 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Linda in Pasco County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lake Linda. Minimum levels are…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board voted on Tuesday to expand hunting opportunities at two District-managed lands. Hunting opportunities will be expanded on these District properties: * Areas of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve located west of CR 471 in Pasco County that are not already designated as wildlife management areas will be developed to provide hunting opportunities for youths and the disabled.* The Lower Hillsborough Flood…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Friday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at Connerton Elementary School located at 9300 Flourish Dr. in Land O’ Lakes. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Pierce Lake in Pasco County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Pierce Lake. Minimum levels are…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will conduct a monthly audible test of the three sirens installed near the Edward Medard Park reservoir in southeast Hillsborough County this Saturday at noon.The audible testing takes place the first Saturday of each month at noon to ensure the sirens perform properly. During testing, the sirens sound for about 15 seconds. The hearing range of the sirens is dependent upon many factors including weather conditions and…

A Southwest Florida Water Management District project will help a Hillsborough County vegetable grower reduce groundwater pumping and stormwater runoff.The project is at the Tornello Landscape Corporation and is part of the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program, which is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The project involves collecting stormwater from the roofs of three acres of…

As teachers go back to school, the Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind them about another important date to add to their calendar. The deadline to "apply for a Splash! mini-grant":/education/minigrants/ is Sept. 11, 2009.The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about their local watersheds and the freshwater resources within them. Splash! mini-grants provide up to $5,000 per school…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recognizes May 13-19 as Water Reuse Week to focus the public on the benefits of expanding this important water resource. The District’s Governing Board signed a resolution proclaiming Water Reuse Week at its April…

The school year may have come to an end, but educators interested in securing grant funding for next year can begin applying online for a Southwest Florida Water Management District Splash! mini-grant.Grant funding is for classroom projects that focus on water quality, natural systems, water conservation, alternative water sources, flood protection or watersheds.The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the months of June, July and August for two District sites in Sarasota County — the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.Both tracts are located to the north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190, with U.S. Hwy. 41 as its far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of January through March for two District sites in Sarasota County — the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.Both tracts are located to the north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190, with U.S. Hwy. 41 as its far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days in November and December for two District sites in Sarasota County — the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.Both tracts are located to the north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190, with U.S. Hwy. 41 as its far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve and the Annuteliga Hammock.The Annuteliga Hammock tract is located in Hernando County, near Royal Highlands and U.S. Hwy. 19. Approximately 260 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Weekiwachee Preserve is located in Hernando and Pasco counties, approximately one mile west of Spring…