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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lake Aurora Christian Camp and Retreat Center located at 237 Golden Bough Road east of Lake Wales. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Aurora in Polk County.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies…

Slough Going Sarasota County is experiencing the benefits of the recently completed Deer Prairie Slough Restoration Project. The project goal was to restore the historic hydrology and improve the habitat value of the 3,200-acre Deer Prairie Slough, which is part of Sarasota County’s T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve. The reserve, parts of which have been adversely impacted by ditching and draining efforts, lies within the Myakka River watershed, is part of the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District District) is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year. Following the directive in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Emergency Order to conduct all public meetings electronically to reduce the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lake Aurora Christian Camp and Retreat Center located at 237 Golden Bough Road east of Lake Wales. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Aurora in Polk County.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies…

For about 2.7 million residents in a five-county area of Central Florida, the Floridan aquifer system is the main source of stored freshwater. And while Florida generally receives 50 to 55 inches of rainfall each year, not all that rain reaches the aquifer. About 37 inches evaporates back into the air or runs off land into ponds, lakes or rivers. Today, the current average total water use is about 800 million gallons per day in Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole…

Managing District Lands A war is being fought on District-managed lands and water bodies … a war against invasive species potentially invading more than 300,000 acres of publicly owned land and 25 major water bodies. The invasion of native communities and ecosystems by invasive, non-native species of plant life and wildlife is widely recognized as one of the primary threats to the environmental integrity of Florida’s remaining natural areas. Invasive species…

The Governing Board voted June 29 to let water shortage restrictions expire on June 30. The Governing Board voted to lift the restrictions in response to significant improvements in aquifer and river levels as a result of this winter’s above-average rainfall. Moreover, the region’s major public water suppliers have been able to capture and store large supplies of water to meet the needs of residents. However, the Board urged residents to continue the water conservation…

Students at Cedar Key School in Levy County will learn about water quality thanks to a "Splash! school grant":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The goal of the Splash! school grant program is to provide teachers with funding to enhance student knowledge of topics that meet the District's core mission and teach students about their local watersheds, water conservation, quality and supply. Splash! school…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Tuesday, April 9, at 5:30 p.m. to collect public comment on the proposed minimum levels for Lake Tulane and Lake Verona in Highlands County.Members of the public may join the meeting via Microsoft Teams at https://bit.ly/minimumlevels. The Google Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with…

St. Petersburg Attorney Represents Pinellas Jeffrey M. Adams Jeffrey M. Adams was sworn into office at the District’s April Governing Board meeting. Adams, an attorney who lives in St. Petersburg, was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to represent Pinellas County on the District’s Governing Board. He will also serve as the co-chair of the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board. An Illinois native, Adams graduated from Carl Sandburg…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Monday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center, located at 98 1st Ave. NW in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for lakes Allen, Virginia and…

Scientists with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program are optimistic about an overall increase in the growth of seagrass in Tampa Bay, as well as nearby Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and St. Joseph Sound. Seagrass generally grows in waters less than six feet deep and is an important barometer of a bay’s health because it requires relatively clean water to flourish. Seagrass beds serve as “nurseries of the bay,” sheltering and…

Year-Round Water Conservation Measures Return Elsewhere Due to lingering drought effects and water resources not recovering as quickly as other areas, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted today to maintain once-per-week lawn watering and other restrictions in the District's northern region, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Levy and portions of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. This order in Marion County would be limited to…

Visitors of the 13th Annual Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival will have the opportunity to experience water conservation in action when they stop in and use the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s water conservation restroom station.The festival is being held March 10 and 11 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala. The office is located at 2232 N.E. Jacksonville Rd.Community festivals allow the District to spread the word…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will review the Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, at Tuesday’s meeting.The water shortage order was declared earlier this month by the District’s Executive Director David L. Moore following a lengthy presentation by staff outlining the depressed hydrologic conditions. The order went into effect Jan. 16 and includes restrictions that apply to the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Town of Redington Shores recently signed an amendment to an existing agreement to move forward on phases two through four of a project that will improve water quality and reduce flooding.Phases two and three include upgrading the stormwater system by adding inlets and storm piping, a Continuous Deflective Separation (CDS) unit, which will treat stormwater runoff, and the associated roadway reconstruction. A CDS unit…

A cooperatively funded project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Manatee County Audubon Society will restore almost 10 acres of freshwater wetlands and uplands habitat, which will improve water quality, act as a buffer against erosion and provide exceptional habitat for wading birds.The FELTS Preserve, located in northern Manatee County, consists of approximately 29 acres. The preserve drains into Terra Ceia Bay, and ultimately Tampa Bay,…

The 11th Annual Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival is the place where gardeners will have the opportunity to learn about water conservation in several ways. The festival is being held March 12 and 13 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala.Gardeners can learn about water conservation through micro-irrigation and rain barrel workshops. Other workshop topics include weed control, pest control, types of fertilizer, native plants, and how to…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) has partnered with the "Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition":http://floridawildlifecorridor.org/, as members of the exploration team travel through the District by walking, paddling or biking their way more than 700 miles from the Everglades Headwaters in Central Florida, across the Panhandle to the Alabama border. The expedition began Jan. 10 at Creek Ranch outside of Orlando. The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to modify the tightened turfgrass restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, which will allow builders to sod and residents to replace lawns under a specific set of conditions.District staff met with members of the sod industry last week to discuss solutions to the extreme water shortage in the Tampa Bay area as well as the serious economic conditions affecting the sod…