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Managing District Lands A war is being fought on District-managed lands and water bodies … a war against invasive species potentially invading more than 300,000 acres of publicly owned land and 25 major water bodies. The invasion of native communities and ecosystems by invasive, non-native species of plant life and wildlife is widely recognized as one of the primary threats to the environmental integrity of Florida’s remaining natural areas. Invasive species… Read more

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have postponed its Sept. 12 Governing Board tentative budget hearing due to emergency conditions facing the District from Hurricane Irma. The public hearing will be rescheduled at a later date. Information concerning District-related meeting cancellations and office closures will also be provided to the media and made available on the District's website at… Read more

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed on Friday, Sept. 8 in accordance with Governor Rick Scott's direction to close state offices in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The District will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Irma throughout the weekend to determine if future closings are necessary. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District's… Read more

From left: Kevin Stover, 33 years, Field Technician Supervisor, Resource Data & Restoration. Richard Gant, 34 years, Field Technician Supervisor, Resource Projects. Kevin Love, 35 years, Manager, Land Resources. Mike Holtkamp, 35 years, Director, Operations, Maintenance & Construction Division Five Staff Members Share Memories at a Roundtable Interview How would you describe the District when you first started working here? … Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will hold a Recreation Ad Hoc Committee meeting Wednesday, March 5, at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will take place at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301. The objective of this meeting is to provide the Ad Hoc Committee, made up of four Governing Board members, and stakeholders an overview of the findings and preliminary staff recommendations resulting from the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a modification of a water use permit that will allow the City of Davenport to construct a third well.The permitted quantity of approximately 1 million gallons of water per day will remain unchanged. Under the modified permit, the third well will be constructed at a new water treatment facility.This permit will supply water primarily for single and multi-family residential, landscape irrigation,… Read more

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed Wednesday, July 7, due to potential impacts from Tropical Storm Elsa. The District will continue to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Elsa to determine if future closings are necessary, however District offices are expected to be open Thursday, July 8. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District’s… Read more

h2. Project Will Improve Water Quality and Restore HabitatWork is under way to restore habitat and repair erosion along the banks of the Palm River in Tampa.The Palm River is part of the Tampa Bypass Canal, and flows from the District's S-160 Flood Control Structure, located just north of the Selmon Expressway, to the mouth of McKay Bay. During the construction of the Tampa Bypass Canal in the 1960s, the Palm River required significant dredging. In the 1970s, areas of… Read more

h2. Additional Lines Will Add 300 CustomersMore than 300 residential water customers in the Clearwater Harbor area will have access to reclaimed water when a pipe installation project now under way is complete in 2012.With funding assistance from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/, the City of Clearwater is adding more than 34,000 feet of reclaimed water pipes to the area. The project will provide capacity for… Read more

Who: Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of InvernessWhat: The city is holding a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on a reclaimed water transmission line. This $2 million project is being funded by the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board and the city.When: Monday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m.Where: The Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 3900 S. Florida Ave., Inverness.Why: The District and the… Read more

h2. Grant Program Can Help Fund Water Resources Education ProjectsCommunity members who want to help protect the water resources in their area may apply online for a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant program is to actively engage and educate adults about water conservation, protection and preservation. The program is intended to… Read more

table(webalert). |Who:|Students and staff from Wildwood Middle High School and field experts from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ .||*What:*|Sumter County School District personnel and District field experts will engage 85 seventh-grade students in activities that integrate the use of technology tools with the collection and recording of data about the site. The highlights include conducting water quality… Read more

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… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will temporarily close trails during November and December in the Flatwoods and Morris Bridge areas of the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County.The "Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve(Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve)":/recreation/areas/lowerhillsborough.html is located east of I-75 and north of US 301, approximately three miles northeast of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, July 23 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live… Read more

*Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and disease*The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently launched a new campaign to encourage residents who irrigate their lawns to "Skip a Week" of watering during the cooler months of December, January and February.According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn't need to be watered as often during the cooler months. In fact, one-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient… Read more

The Dunnellon Homeschool Club will share information it learned about protecting and conserving our water resources with the community at a workshop Thursday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m.The workshop, which is being held at the Dunnellon Public Library meeting room, 20351 Robinson Road. in Dunnellon, will discuss current events impacting our water supply, the aquifer and other natural systems, and water conservation methods, including Florida-friendly landscaping and rain barrels.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is asking outdoor enthusiasts to take extra precautions to prevent wildfires when visiting District lands.The region is experiencing the effects of a three-year drought and October through May is Florida’s dry season. In addition, several freezes over the past month have made grasses and other light vegetation extremely dry and volatile.The District is asking campers and other outdoor enthusiasts to take the following… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum flows for the Dona Bay/Shakett Creek system below Cow Pen Slough in Sarasota County.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving a balance between meeting human water needs and those of Florida’s natural systems… Read more

Educators interested in securing grant funding for classroom projects that focus on water quality, natural systems, water conservation, alternative water sources, flood protection or watersheds are encouraged to apply for a Splash! mini-grant through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about their local watersheds and the water resources within them. Splash… Read more