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Multiple District staff members have earned a new a certification, which will save time, money and resources.  Eleven employees in the Environmental Resource Permit Bureau are now Certified Wetland Evaluators (CWE) through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  CWE is a new certification program DEP put in place after assuming a federal permitting program from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Under this program, certified…

Many of the tips the District promotes for Water Conservation Month can be found in use at its own campuses.For example, District-owned offices in Tampa and Brooksville have water-efficient toilets, water monitoring systems and rain sensors and follow Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ guidelines.Each campus is equipped with low-flow toilets, urinals and faucets. Typically, the low flow toilets save three or more gallons a flush compared to older models. The low-flow bathroom…

With spring break season approaching, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, wants to remind Chassahowitzka River visitors about the recreational best practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts. Recreational activities can have a direct impact on the health of the river. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the river have trampled vegetation and eroded riverbanks. Also…

For decades, the District’s five advisory committees have played an important role in providing input on water management programs, projects and related issues. The diverse committees are made up of volunteers from different industries who serve as liaisons between the District and their organizations. At quarterly meetings, committee members are presented with items of interest from District staff, and other subject matter experts, that relate to their industries. They…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $107,969 in grants to 58 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12. Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $107,969 in grants to 58 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12. Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Citrus County. Residents living in the North Citrus Withlacoochee River watershed are invited to attend an open house June 29 at 4 p.m. at the Coastal Region Library, located at 8619 W. Crystal Street in Crystal River. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the basis behind the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, launched the Chassahowitzka River Education Campaign to inform river visitors about the recreational best practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts.  Recreational activities can have a direct impact on the health of the river. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the river have trampled vegetation and eroded riverbanks.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Plant City. Residents living in the Plant City watershed are invited to attend an open house Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 4 p.m. The meeting will take place at Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, located at 302 South Maryland Avenue in Plant City. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Sumter County. Residents living in the Little Jones Creek/Wildwood watershed are invited to attend an open house Thursday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m. The meeting will take place at Wildwood Community Center, located at 6500 Powell Road in Wildwood. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the…

Governing Board member Wendy J. Griffin. From the lot they parked on to the prairie landscape they walked by, guests were surrounded by the messages of water conservation. Archbold Biological Station recently unveiled its new education exhibits and signs during a dedication ceremony. The facility, located in Highlands County, is a not-for-profit independent research institution in central Florida. The station is dedicated to long-term ecological research…

The District recently kicked off a new multimedia public service advertising campaign to educate residents on Florida-friendly fertilizing. “There are a lot of misconceptions about how to fertilize properly,” said Virginia Sternberger, senior communications coordinator in the District’s Public Education Section. “For example, some residents think that if a little fertilizer will help their lawns, a lot will be even better. Some think that the best time to fertilize is…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 27, to share the results of the 2020 Dover/Plant City Water Use Caution Area Assessment and staff recommendations. District staff will give a presentation followed by a chance for the public to give comments and ask questions. Members of the public may join the workshop via Microsoft Teams at…

The contribution of hundreds of District volunteers was celebrated in April with a Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Green Swamp West Field Office. “The District has been around since 1961,” said David Moore, District executive director. “We’ve been working with volunteers since the beginning. They are an important part of what we do.” Approximately 300 volunteers are involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program. More than 850 volunteers are…

Imagine the excitement of boarding an airplane with 15 of your closest friends to jump out at 1,500 feet with only the wind in your face. For Senior Environmental Scientist Jeff Whealton, this is a regular occurrence as a member of the Phantom Airborne Brigade. Since 2015, Jeff has been part of the Zephyrhills-based veterans' organization that conducts static line airborne…

District scientists have completed a second year of setting up wetland monitoring sites as part of a regional monitoring program. The project is part of the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI), a water planning effort among government agencies, water utilities, environmental groups, business organizations, agricultural communities and other stakeholders in a five-county…

Doris Heitzmann, a horticulturist and community outreach coordinator with the Pinellas County Extension office, evaluates the landscape at Venetian Bay. Members of the Venetian Bay Homeowners Association (HOA) wanted to do their part to conserve water, so they looked to the City of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas County Extension office for help. The Venetian Bay community consists of 22 waterfront and 51 nonwaterfront townhomes in St. Petersburg. In August…

When Krista McKean and Deborah Ammendola learned that hundreds of dogs were rescued from a meat farm in South Korea and headed to the Tampa Bay Humane Society, they knew they would need donations. And the field technicians knew they could count on their generous co-workers to help.  District staff donated 269 items including blankets, dog food, toys, leashes, and grooming and…

Cockroach Bay is located in Tampa Bay, the District’s highest priority SWIM water body, and is one of the largest, most complex ecosystem restoration projects ever developed for the Tampa Bay estuarine ecosystem. The 1980s was a decade of added responsibility for the District. A number of environmental programs were created by the Legislature during these years and, as a result, staff realigned priorities to accomplish multiple significant undertakings.…

The District is reminding residents who irrigate their lawns to “Skip a Week” or more of watering during the cooler months of January and February.  According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often during the cooler months. One-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient. In fact, if your lawn has received any significant rainfall, then you can turn off your irrigation system and operate it…