Search Content

Inverness Mayor Ron Plaisted will proclaim this Saturday, Oct. 23 as "Inverness Get Outside! Day," kicking off the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Get Outside!" event at "Potts Preserve(Potts Preserve)":/recreation/areas/potts.html.Citrus, Marion and Sumter county residents are invited to attend the *free event* from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include *guided nature hikes*, a *native animal presentation*,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized two Sumter County projects as outstanding school, community grant or volunteer programs that focus on water resources education. A total of 52 projects were recognized during the October 7 Reflect, Connect, Celebrate Water Resources Education Conference at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs.To select the awardees, District staff reviewed grants applied for by teachers… Read more

Your Questions Answered December 2021 Q: Why does the District issue permits? A: Water is a public resource that belongs to all of us. However, fresh water is not limitless. Excessive water withdrawals can harm the resources. Other human activities also pose threats. Without the proper safeguards for wetlands, floodplain encroachment and stormwater runoff can cause pollution and flooding. District permitting… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has launched the new WaterMatters.org website featuring a new recreation reservation system.  The new design is cleaner and more organized, while offering the following features:

• Mobile Friendly: The new site provides a simple design that is compatible with tablets and phones, which make up… Read more

table(webalert).|Who:|Pasco County residents, representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pasco County Extension office, West Pasco Audubon Society, West Pasco Native Plant Society, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Health, “Step up, Florida!”, Around the Bend Nature Tours, District School Board of Pasco County and the Pioneer Florida Museum.||What:|The District is holding a free family-friendly… Read more

table(webalert).|Who:|Polk County residents, representatives from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org, "Polk County Extension office(Polk County Extension office)":http://polk.ifas.ufl.edu/, "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)":http://myfwc.com/, "Florida Department of Forestry(Florida Division of Forestry)":http://www.fl-dof.… Read more

Hundreds of wounded veterans and active-duty members have hunted deer, hogs, turkeys and alligators and shared experiences with each other thanks to the District’s partnership with Operation Outdoor Freedom. The program provides recreational and rehabilitative opportunities to retired, wounded veterans or to active-duty service members with service-oriented injuries.  The District was recently recognized for its participation in the program. The Florida… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will train students at the Academy of Environmental Science to collect algal samples during future algae blooms in Kings Bay in Crystal River.Kings Bay has a history of algae blooms that negatively impact water clarity, cause habitat degradation and result in odor problems. Effective watershed management requires the identification of the types of algae. Due to the limited time frame available for sampling and the… Read more

Environmental Concern An Oldsmar Boy Scout was recently honored by the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board for his work on a project at the Brooker Creek Preserve. Mark Brandon of Troop 64 of Oldsmar designed and created self-guided tour material for one of the nature trails in the preserve. Mark found out about the need for trail markers at Brooker Creek through his mom, Sue Brandon, who volunteers at the Preserve. Mark is a Life Scout, one step below an Eagle… Read more

  Basin Board: Alafia River Basin Board Term: March 5, 2002 to March 1, 2008 Occupation: Real estate broker Town of Residence: Brandon Hometown: Tampa Reason you applied to be a Basin Board member: Having been a Hillsborough County commissioner for two terms, I am aware of the importance of balancing a finite quantity of water… Read more

h2. Winner Will Earn "Ruling Water Champion" CrownThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting area landscaping professionals to compete for the title of "Ruling Water Champion" at the District's third Landscape Challenge competition, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at "Armstrong Homes":http://www.armstronghomes.net/, 7821 N. Florida Avenue in Citrus Springs.The Springs Awareness Week Landscape… Read more

Governing Board Chair Neil Combee The new Governing Board chair’s handshake is firm and dry, his gaze direct and steady. It’s easy to picture him as a linebacker at Lakeland High School, zeroing in on the opposing team’s running back. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It’s also easy to imagine him, after a crushing tackle, helping the guy up and then telling him a funny story after the game. If a person can be defined by place… Read more

Who We Are The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) manages the water resources for west-central Florida as directed by state law. The District encompasses roughly 10,000 square miles in all or part of 16 counties and serves a population of nearly 6 million people. The goal of the District is to meet the water needs of current and future water users while protecting and preserving the water resources within its boundaries. A 13-member… Read more

table(webalert). |Who:|Citrus, Marion and Sumter county residents, Inverness Mayor Ron Plaisted, "Citrus County Airboat Alliance(Citrus County Airboat Alliance)":http://www.citrusairboat.org/ and representatives from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/, "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)":http://myfwc.com and the Citrus County Extension office.||*… Read more

December 2023Q: Why is conserving water outdoors important?A:  Typically, outdoor water use accounts for about 50 percent of water consumed by households, so it’s important to pay attention to your outdoor water use. If using a permanent inground irrigation system, conduct regular maintenance to ensure the system is working properly and make seasonal adjustments throughout the year. If using a non-permanent above-ground… Read more

Sometimes Florida yards need fertilizer to help keep them healthy, but applying the wrong kind can cause water pollution. You can use "Florida-friendly fertilizing(Florida-Friendly Fertilizing)":/yards/fertilizing practices to help protect water quality while having a beautiful lawn.Most home lawn fertilizers contain some slow-release nitrogen. It takes a little longer for your yard to benefit from slow-release nitrogen, but the effects will last longer. Many of these… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored six outstanding Hillsborough County projects that focused on water resources education. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.The Hillsborough County recipients are listed below. Projects in Hillsborough County received funding from one or more of the following District Basin Boards: Alafia River, Hillsborough… Read more

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,… Read more