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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $104,941.81 in grants to 48 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 Sumter County. Residents living in the Jumper Creek watershed are invited to attend an open house on Thursday, April 12 at 4 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Sumter County Fairgrounds, located at 7620 SR 471 in Bushnell. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the basis behind the…

 Clockwise from top left:1: This marked plant indicates beetles were placed on it so the rancher does not tamper with it. 2: One tropical soda apple fruit can contain hundreds of seeds. 3: Mike Terry, District plant management crew leader, and Dr. Julio Medal prepare to release TSA leaf-eating beetles. 4: The small beetles come from Medal’s cages in Gainesville. 5: This is an example of what a TSA plant looks like after the beetles are through with it.…

Celebrate February as Florida Hiking Trails Month exploring the more than 850 miles of hiking trails on District lands.  Florida Hiking Trails month, recognized by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, encourages Floridians to take advantage of Florida’s extensive trail system. Many trails on District lands are nearby and also are open for related activities such as nature study, bird watching, photography, jogging and backpacking.  The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is celebrating February as Florida Hiking Trails Month by inviting the public to explore the more than 850 miles of hiking trails on District lands. Florida Hiking Trails month, recognized by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, encourages Floridians to take advantage of Florida's extensive trail system. Many trails on District lands are nearby and are also open for related activities such as nature…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration on Monday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the wild hog population. What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:

• Phase 2 will include six hunts that occur in January and February 2018.
• Permits are transferable.
• The single top producer on each hunt of Phase 2 will…

For three decades, District staff have managed hundreds of projects that provided water quality improvement for surface water bodies and restored thousands of acres of habitats through the SWIM program. The Surface Water Improvement and Management Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 1987 to protect, restore and maintain Florida’s…

The Southwest Florida Water Managemet Distrit (District) in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be treating hydrilla on the Lake Panasoffkee Outlet River March 31 and April 1, weather permitting. Hydrilla will be controlled on the Outlet River, which flows from Lake Panasoffkee to the Withlacoochee River. The aquatic herbicide Aquathol K will be applied. There are no restrictions on the use of treated water for swimming,…

A study of Flatford Swamp in Manatee County could lead to a project that could help improve groundwater levels, reduce saltwater intrusion and benefit the 3,000-acre habitat.District staff will conduct a feasibility study to recover groundwater levels by recharging millions of gallons per day of naturally-treated surface water from the swamp into the Upper Floridan aquifer. This is the most impacted area of the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA), a designation given to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Feb. 4-6. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. Permit sales are closed. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14440 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland. This activity is one of a series of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Flying Eagle Nature Center in Citrus County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Jan. 14-16. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All permits for these hunts have been sold. Flying Eagle Nature Center is located at 12650 East Boy Scout Road in Inverness. This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Chito Branch Reserve in Hillsborough County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Jan. 7-9, 2020. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 10 permits for these hunts have been sold. Chito Branch Reserve is located at 11254 Browning Road in Lithia. This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Alston Tract at Upper Hillsborough Preserve in Pasco County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Jan. 7-9, 2020. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 11 permits for these hunts have been sold. The Alston Tract is located at 42144 Deems Road in Zephyrhills. This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District…

Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member, assists visitors at the District’s display. The District celebrated the Hillsborough River and the Hillsborough River watershed by holding a series of events along the river during “Hillsborough River Watershed Awareness Week” in October. The District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board and the participating city and county governments declared the week of October 20–27 as Hillsborough River Watershed Awareness Week…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population. What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:

• Phase 2 will include six hunts that occur in January 2020.
• Permits are transferable.
• The single top…

The District’s Governing Board voted unanimously in October to tighten water restrictions in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The Governing Board was responding to a request by Tampa Bay Water, the region’s wholesale water supplier, because its water supplies have not returned to pre-drought conditions. “The Tampa Bay area is the most impacted region in the District,” said David Moore, District executive director. “The water shortage order in the Tampa…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Dec. 3-5. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. Permit sales are closed. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14440 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland. This activity is one of a series of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is offering six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and parties without running up your water bill. During the holidays, water plays a role in everything from food preparation to the cleanup process. Here’s how to incorporate water conservation into your holiday preparations:

• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water over them.
• …

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 19-21. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 25 permits for this hunt have been sold. Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located at 15430 SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon. This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Flying Eagle Nature Center in Citrus County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 12-14. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 20 permits for these hunts have been sold. Flying Eagle Nature Center is located at 12650 East Boy Scout Road in Inverness. This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District…