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The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. A public hearing on the tentative FY2018 budget is scheduled for 5:01 p.m. The final budget hearing will take place on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 9:30 a.m., also at the Tampa Service Office. Both budget meetings were rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma. To view the Governing Board…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 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 awareness…

Looking for a New Year’s Resolution you’ll keep in 2016? Resolve to conserve water in the new year with these easy ideas: 

1. Reduce daily showers by two minutes and save up to 240 gallons per month. 
2. Fix dripping faucets and save around 1,650 gallons per month.
3. Replace showerheads with low-flow models and save about 480 gallons per month.
4. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving, and save up to 225…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 10:00 a.m. at the Sarasota Service Office, located at 6750 Fruitville Road. Please note, the 10:00 a.m. start time is an hour later than regularly scheduled 9:00 a.m. meetings.To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit "WaterMatters.org":http://www.Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) Public Affairs Bureau was recently recognized by both the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) and the Public Relations Society of America's Sunshine District (PRSA) by receiving some of the organizations' top awards of excellence in public relations. The Restoring Our Springs! Campaign won an Award of Distinction from the FPRA and a statewide Radiance Award from the PRSA.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to extend the currentWater Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, until Sept. 30.The originaldeclaration of water shortage, which was…

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…

Approximately 10 disabled hunters are expected to participate in a quail hunt, Feb. 9-11, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Gilley Creek Tract within the Lake Manatee Reserve. The property will be closed to the public during the event.The Lake Manatee Reserve is located east of the lake in Manatee County. The entrance is located north of Lake Manatee on SR 675.The event, which is organized by the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’…

Approximately 15 disabled hunters are expected to participate in a Hog Still Hunt, Feb. 2-4, on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alston Tract, which is part of the Upper Hillsborough. The event is organized by the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen.The Alston Tract is located east of Zephyrhills in Pasco and Polk counties. The entrance is off S.R. 39. The property will be closed to the public during the event.This hunt is one of…

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio is planning to proclaim March 10 “Florida-friendly Landscaping Day.”This proclamation will take place in the Mayor’s office on Monday, Feb. 5 at 2:30 p.m. It is being made in conjunction with the Florida Yard Fandango, a Florida-friendly gardening event being held March 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.This is the second year homeowners and gardening enthusiasts are invited to “play in the dirt” at the Museum of Science and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alston Tract, which is part of the Upper Hillsborough Tract, will be reserved Dec. 1-3 for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors. The property will be closed to the public during this time.The Alston Tract is located east of Zephyrhills in Pasco and Polk Counties. The entrance is off S.R. 39.The hunt is a joint effort between the District and the National Wild Turkey Federation/…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 in grants to 51 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 awareness…

Polk County residents are invited to attend the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org "Get Outside!" event at the Hampton Tract on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The free event includes family-friendly activities such as guided nature hikes, "I Spy" scavenger hunts, a native plant raffle and more.The 11,052-acre "Hampton Tract(Hampton Tract)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to extendthe current Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, until Nov. 30.The water shortage order, which was declared by the District’s Executive Director David L. Moore, went into effect Jan. 16 and was slated to expire July 31. It was…

The Florida House of Representatives and Senate each adopted a resolution last week declaring April 14 through April 21 Peace River Watershed Awareness Week.The Senate resolution was sponsored by Sen. J.D. Alexander. Sens. Michael Bennett, Lisa Carlton and Rhonda Storms co-sponsored the resolution.The House resolution was sponsored by Rep. Michael Grant. Reps. Frank Attkisson, Marty Bowen, Seth McKeel and Dennis Ross co-sponsored the resolution.“We’re pleased that our…

As part of a phased approach, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will reopen all campgrounds throughout its 16-county region Wednesday, June 3. Reopening of District campgrounds is consistent with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s reopening of camping at many Florida State Parks. To help protect staff and visitors from the spread of COVID-19, the following guidelines will be in place at all District campgrounds:

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Sharing Science With Students Members of the District’s Peace River Basin Board and the District’s mascot, Ripply, helped celebrate the grand opening of a new exhibit at the Explorations V Children’s Museum in Lakeland. The Water Matters! exhibit is a hands-on display that illustrates the water cycle and explains the importance of protecting natural water resources. The exhibit encompasses a 10- by 14-foot area of the museum and includes an activated water cycle, a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host career and student internship fairs to share information about the many career fields and employment opportunities at the District.The fairs will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the District’s Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa and Aug. 30 at the District’s Brooksville Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The District offers a wide variety of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (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…

Whether it was about habitat restoration, geology or the water cycle, dozens of District staff shared their knowledge with students last week during the Great American Teach-In.  The annual event invites parents and other community members to share their work, hobbies and life experiences with students. The day is meant to give students exposure to various career options. The Teach-In, which started in 1990 as one of several events during American Education…