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The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hernando County are holding more public meetings to present preliminary floodplain information and explain the basis behind the findings.The information will be used to update area floodplain information and develop preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by land…

Did you know that you can save hundreds of gallons of water per month by only running your washing machine and dishwater when they're full? This simple step, along with the other tips below, can significantly reduce your indoor water consumption and your monthly water bill. While the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ advocates water conservation year-round, an extra effort is being made to promote conservation…

h3. Old World climbing fern threatening the Green SwampWith threats from new invasive plants and animal species continuing to rise in Florida, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is battling to keep a new invasive vine from infesting the "Green Swamp(Interactive Green Swamp)":/education/interactive/greenswamp/greenswamp.html."Old World climbing fern(Old World Climbing Fern)":/projects/invasives/old-world-fern.php…

Following Hurricane Milton, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has deactivated the Tampa Bypass Canal System and the Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (HFDA), as water levels in the Hillsborough River have returned to normal. This marks a positive step as the region recovers from the heavy rainfall caused by the storm. To assist with flood control during the storm, the District activated the Tampa Bypass Canal System on October 8 to protect…

Polk County is taking a lead in water conservation as nearly a dozen cities pass laws requiring new homes to be built more water efficient.  As the Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC) works to develop alternative water supplies to meet the region’s projected water supply deficit, many of the PRWC’s 16 municipalities have adopted the ordinances. The City of Eagle Lake became the 10th Polk County city to pass an ordinance since 2018 requiring newly constructed…

Agricultural permit holders can now utilize a new element of the District’s Water Management Information System (WMIS). The WMIS is being designed to centralize information from the District’s well construction permitting, resource data, water use permitting and environmental resource permitting databases, making it easily accessible for both the staff and the public. Upon completion, the WMIS will increase the amount of information online, facilitate online…

Governing Board Secretary Doug Tharp, left, awards the Florida Water StarSM certification to Kenneth D. Colen, president of On Top of the World Communities, Inc. The developer of a major community in Marion County was recently certified as a builder of Florida Water StarSM (FWS) homes. Governing Board Secretary Doug Tharp presented the certification to On Top of the World Communities during the community’s conservation expo in September. The…

From left: Teens pitch in to clean up the Hillsborough River; center: District staff were ready to answer questions during the post cleanup picnic; right: Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member and chair ex officio of the Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board, joined in with volunteers. This November more than 1,000 volunteers descended upon the banks of the Hillsborough River and other Tampa waterways as part of the 19th Annual Mayor’s Hillsborough River…

Top: David Moore, District executive director, talks to Pasco County students before the ceremony. Bottom: Rep. Will Weatherford and Ronald Oakley, Governing Board member, discuss land preservation. The District and more than 150 members of the community celebrated the grand opening of Conner Preserve in January. The District purchased the 2,980-acre property in 2003 to preserve and restore this important natural…

Cowboys recently cracked their whips and recreated history on District property. The District hosted the Hernando Southern Heritage Days Cracker Cattle Drive at Potts Preserve in Citrus County. The Cracker Cattle Drive is a yearly event sponsored by the Hernando Heritage Council of About two dozen community leaders and other citizens got an up-close look at the condition of Kings Bay when the District hosted a boat tour last week.  The tour was one of the…

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved adding three first-magnitude spring systems — Weeki Wachee River, Chassahowitzka River and Homosassa River — to the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program priority list.  The existing SWIM Program priority list includes two first-magnitude spring systems – Rainbow River and Crystal River/Kings Bay. The DEP approval brings all five of the District’s first-magnitude spring systems onto…

Marion County students at two schools will study the issues surrounding our freshwater resources thanks to "Splash! school grants":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The Marion County awardees are:* Thomas Allison, *Dunnellon Middle*, was awarded $2,390. Students will visit the Withlacoochee and Rainbow rivers to test water quality. Students will learn how human actions affect the flora and fauna on the…

This is Severe Weather Awareness Week and while Florida residents are familiar with tropical storms and hurricanes, it doesn’t take a named storm to cause flooding.  Florida is vulnerable to flooding at any time of the year. Mostly surrounded by water, the abundant supply of moisture feeds the development of thunderstorms, which may produce heavy rains during a short period of time. When those heavy rains occur, the ground may not be able to absorb all of the…

Editor’s note: See below for map of county and watershedsThe Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hernando County are working together to gather input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in the county.The information will be used to update area floodplain information and develop preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are…

With the hustle and bustle of the season, there’s one thing residents can skip on their “to do” list watering their lawns.Faced with an increasingly severe drought, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to “skip a week” during the cooler months to save water.“Over-watering makes your lawn less drought tolerant and can encourage disease and pests,” said Sylvia Durell,…

Emergency watering restrictions may be extended past July 31 deadlineA continuing rainfall deficit reaffirms the need to maintain emergency watering restrictions, resolved the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board this week.At its next meeting on July 31 the Board will consider extending the one-day watering restrictions which are due to expire that day.Rainfall for the last 12 months remains down more than 12 inches from normal, while June…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled hunters and volunteer guidesWhat: The District has partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this hog hunt, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors.When: Saturday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m.Where: The hunt will…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled hunters and volunteer guidesWhat: The District has partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this deer and hog hunt, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors.When:Saturday, Dec. 2, 11 a.m.Where: The…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled anglers, boy scoutsWhat: The District and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department have partnered with the NWTF/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this fishing derby, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors.When:…

Southwest Florida Water Management District staff water conservation restrooms are expected to be a “home run” with Threshers fans.The District is bringing its water conservation restrooms to Bright House Networks Stadium on May 6 when the Clearwater Threshers battle the Vero Beach Dodgers. This is the first time the District will bring the comforts of a private, water-conserving bathroom trailer to a baseball game.“Bringing the trailer to the ball field…