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More than 90 tons of debris removed from area sinkholesThe Southwest Florida Water Management District has completed a three-year project to improve water quality in the District’s springs by removing debris from sinkholes and areas with high aquifer permeability.Over the three-year period, 90.77 tons of debris were removed from 18 sinkholes and other karst features in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Some of the items removed from the sinkholes included shopping… Read more

Pinellas County students at 12 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 Pinellas County awardees are:* Irene Seybold, *Cross Bayou Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up… Read more

Left: Jason LaRoche, a District professional geologist and engineer, volunteered his time to gather seeds. Top: Mary Barnwell, District senior land management specialist, collects bags of seeds from volunteers at the preserve. Above: Volunteers spread out to collect seeds from a variety of natural grasses. Right: Butch DeVary, District senior heavy equipment operator, helped collect seeds during National Public Lands Day. Picking up trash and planting trees are… Read more

One of the founding leaders that helped shape the District passed away this week. Dale Twachtmann, the District’s first executive director, died May 17 following a battle with Leukemia.  Twachtmann spent most of his career championing water issues and programs that remain key components to protecting the state’s water resources. So passionate about new water technologies, he once famously drank a glass of treated wastewater to prove its safety to the public.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is unveiling a new tool to help residents determine how much water they can conserve at home.The new tool is an online water conservation calculator that allows residents to estimate how much water they use, and provides tips on how they can reduce that amount.Participants will then have the opportunity to pledge to conserve at least 10 percent of their daily use. Visit the District’s web site at… Read more

As mullet jumped and birds soared, guests celebrated the success of the Terra Ceia Ecosystem Restoration Project. District and other community leaders dedicated the first phase of the largest ecosystem restoration project ever performed on Tampa Bay during a recent ceremony. The project is a multi-phased initiative involving 1,800 acres within Terra Ceia State Park, located in Manatee County in the southeastern reaches of Tampa Bay.  A total of 843 acres were… Read more

Two cooperatively funded projects between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the WateReuse Foundation will help water managers gain a better understanding of different reclaimed water treatment methods.Soil Aquifer Treatment StudyThe goal of the soil aquifer treatment and membrane treatment study is to determine how effective the soils and the aquifer treat or remove undesirable compounds in reclaimed water. Soil aquifer treatment occurs… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of North Port are working together on two projects that will help reduce demand and conserve water.North Port Water Conservation and Retrofit ProgramThe North Port Water Conservation and Retrofit Program will offer financial incentives to residents who retrofit their homes with water efficient fixtures such as low-flow toilets, low-flow showerheads and rain sensors. Residents who install a low-… Read more

Hundreds of volunteers were honored this weekend for the valuable contribution they have made to help improve public lands and restore Tampa Bay.The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Volunteer Appreciation Day, which was held at the Green Swamp West Field Office, featured an awards presentation, exhibits, live music, a picnic lunch and a nature hike.Approximately 300 volunteers are involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program. More… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board recently adopted policies to ensure that District funding is spent on water supply projects that are consistent with regional water supply goals and provide relief to stressed groundwater sources.In two separate decisions, the Governing Board detailed District funding requirements for water supply projects within Water Supply Authority service areas and reaffirmed that it will not fund the construction of… Read more

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,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Wednesday extendedthe water shortage emergency order that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Alafia River to store in the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir. This is the second time the District has extended this emergency order, which is necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare. Drought… Read more

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… Read more

A two-year project aimed at measuring the effectiveness of the McIntosh Park enhanced stormwater treatment wetland (ESTW) is about to begin. The ESTW is a cooperatively funded project completed by Southwest Florida Water Management District, Plant City and Hillsborough County.Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. has been contracted to monitor the water quality and flow rates at the McIntosh Park ESTW, which removes sediment and pollutants from a 6,000-acre watershed that drains… Read more

School Tackles Water Issues The Tri-County Water School is now open for registration. The school, held Sept. 11–12, tackles critical water issues facing Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties. The school is run by the University of Florida IFAS Extension along with the District and the three county governments. Courses are designed to educate community leaders, natural resource managers and decision makers about current issues and future concerns regarding water… Read more

"The Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, December 10, at 6:00 p.m. at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, located at 2902 W. Bearss Ave in Tampa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Bird and Crystal Lakes.The state Legislature requires the District to set Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies… Read more

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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is bringing its water conservation restrooms to a new venue, the Sharks Tooth Festival. The event is being held April 8-10 near Venice.Community festivals allow the District to spread the word about water conservation to a variety of audiences by bringing the comforts of a private, water-conserving bathroom to a variety of people.Last year more than 100,000 people visited the trailer during the 16 days it spent at festivals in… Read more

 The Withlapopka Community Park is approximately 50 acres located within the Flying Eagle Preserve. The preserve is a mosaic of small lakes, marshes and swamps with numerous scattered islands of forested uplands. The park site was used by Citrus County as a disposal site for spoil dredged from the county’s canals.The park is a result of a group of individuals approaching the District with a unique opportunity to work… Read more

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… Read more