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Students at Sumter Alternative School will learn about freshwater habitats in Florida 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.…

Students at The Kindergarten Learning Center in Highlands County will study water use and water conservation 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,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Tampa are offering residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low-flow models.The District and the City of Tampa have co-funded this project, known as the Toilet Rebate Program, since 1994. This year the program will provide approximately 2,200 toilet rebates. Approximately 28,000 toilets have been replaced with low flow models since the program began.The project goals…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is partnering with the City of Tampa again in 2005 to offer residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low-flow models.The Tampa Plumbing Retrofit and Education Project is a cooperatively funded effort between the City of Tampa and the District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board. The District and the City of Tampa have co-funded this project, known as the Toilet Rebate Program,…

Seventeen Manatee County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Manatee County to the strong partnership with Manatee County Schools. Judy Griffin, curriculum specialist for Manatee County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and helped…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,…

Florida’s coastal ecosystems are among the most diverse in the world. At the heart of these ecosystems is seagrass—a vital underwater plant that supports marine life, improves water quality, protects shorelines and stores carbon.Since 1988, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has mapped seagrass to help guide decisions that protect and sustain our bays, estuaries and coastal waters. But how exactly is seagrass mapped and why is it important? The…

Workshop to follow at 11:30 a.m. The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. After the Governing Board meeting, the District will hold an informational workshop on water supply and financial projections. Both meetings are open to the public however, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. This meeting is open to the public however, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be followed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and facemasks are required by the public inside District buildings. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the…

Please note 8 a.m. start time The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 8 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. This meeting is open to the public however, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be followed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the…

Left: Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve — Hampton Tract entrance. Right: Hampton Tract is most popular for equestrian activities. Each issue of WaterMatters features a different District property ready for you to explore. These public lands are close to home and are free or very inexpensive to use. This issue features the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve’s Hampton Tract in northwestern Polk County. The 11,052-acre Hampton Tract is ideal for…

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…

Teachers interested in securing a Splash! mini-grant through the Southwest Florida Water Management District can begin applying online. The application is available on the District’s web site at WaterMatters.org/mini-grants.This year the District improved the online application process and will no longer have printed applications.“Last year we received 110 applications and only two of them were submitted on paper, the rest were all submitted online,” said…

Above: Jerry and Pam Rice on vacation with their grandchildren. Right: Rice joined the District’s Governing Board in March 2003. The District’s new Governing Board chair knew early in life that his future lay in the citrus industry. Born in Avon Park and raised in Polk County, Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice began his career at an early age. “I started working when I was very young. My dad worked in the citrus groves. My mom worked in the packinghouse. I did a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program with a series of events highlighting restoration and water quality improvement projects throughout the District.To commemorate this anniversary, three events will recognize program supporters, increase overall awareness and showcase the success of the SWIM Program. The events include:Lake Hartridge Nature Park at the…

A restoration project cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will improve water quality and restore wetlands habitat in the Carrollwood area of Hillsborough County.The North Dale Mabry Highway Stormwater Retrofit and Wetland Restoration Project will restore nearly 11 acres of FDOT-owned property along Waters Avenue, near Sweetwater Creek in Hillsborough County. Nuisance and invasive species…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is looking ahead to fiscal year 2007 by holding a series of workshops to help launch the annual Cooperative Funding Initiative Program. The workshops will focus on the program and any changes that have been made since last year. Applications and guidelines for the Cooperative Funding program will also be available.Four public meetings will be held. The meetings will be held at the following locations:*Friday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the City of Winter Haven to improve water quality in Lake Howard by treating stormwater runoff that flows into the lake.Lake Howard is a 628-acre lake located west of downtown Winter Haven and is one of 16 interconnected lakes known as the Southern Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, which is a State Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Priority Water Body.During the past 10 years, the water quality in Lake…