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The first phase of one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects to benefit Charlotte Harbor is complete. District staff and other community leaders recently celebrated the dedication of the first phase. The Coral Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project is a multi-phased initiative involving 2,600 acres within the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. It was spearheaded by the District, in collaboration with Charlotte County and the Florida Department of Environmental…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Pasco County's New River/Upper Hillsborough River watersheds. Residents living in the New River/Upper Hillsborough River watersheds are invited to attend an open house on Thursday, May 22, 2014, beginning at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at Wesley Chapel High School, located at 30651 Wells Road, Wesley…

Peace River Elementary students in Charlotte County will study how rain barrels save water thanks to a "Splash! school grant":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The goal of the Splash! school grant program is to provide teachers with funding to enhance student knowledge of topics that meet the District's core mission and teach students about their local watersheds, water conservation, quality and supply…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to comment on proposed "minimum flows and levels(Minimum Flows and Levels)":/mfl (MFLs) for the Homosassa River and associated springs at a public workshop on Thursday, Jan. 6. The workshop will be held from 6 to approximately 8:45 p.m. at Citrus County's Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W. Sovereign Path in Lecanto.The District has already held one public…

With the holiday season upon us, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is asking residents to make water conservation a family tradition."This holiday season it is especially important to conserve water because it's extremely dry and we're expecting these dry conditions to continue through next spring," said Robyn Felix, the District's media relations manager. "We can all make a difference by incorporating a few…

h3. Residents urged to check their irrigation systemsThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard voted today to declare a Phase I water shortage for "the District's entire 16-county area (Map of the District)":/data/map/ beginning Dec. 1.The Phase I alert is intended to raise the public's awareness of dry conditions, and to direct water utilities and their local…

Did you know that you can save hundreds of gallons of water per month by only running your washing machine and dishwater when it is full? This simple step, along with the other tips below, can significantly "reduce your indoor water consumption(Saving water indoors)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/indoors and your monthly water bill. While the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org…

Did you know that an older toilet model can use three gallons or more per flush, while a new low-flow model uses just 1.6 gallons per flush? Or that an older showerhead can use as much as four gallons per minute, while a new low-flow model uses just 2.5 gallons or less per minute? While the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org advocates "water conservation(Water conservation)":http://www.swfwmd.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board today approved the joint acquisition of the property known as the Overstreet parcel with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Polk County.This is a great opportunity for the District to partner with Polk County and the state to purchase the property, said Heidi McCree, Governing Board chair.The motion to approve the purchase was made by Governing Board member Neil Combee, who is co-…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is offering six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and parties without running up your water bill."It is especially important to conserve water during the holidays, as they fall within our traditional dry season," said Robyn Felix, the District's media relations manager. "We can all make a difference by incorporating a few simple tips into our routines."During the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit for the City of Bushnell.The modified permit increases the permitted quantities for the city. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 550,000 gallons of water per day. The new permitted quantity is 1.37 million gallons per day.The increased quantities are based on…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is kicking off a water conservation campaign called "Every Drop Counts!(/Every Drop Counts!)":/EveryDropCounts on USF's Tampa campus. District officials estimate that the average person in this region uses 111 gallons of water per day. The program offers ideas for college students to reduce their use in every day activities. The District says they are not asking people to go…

Approximately 200 people will have the opportunity to learn about karst features such as sinkholes, caves and springs, and their relationship to ground water through a Community Education Grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Hernando County Utilities was awarded the $4,900 grant for a one-day workshop that will teach Hernando County citizens, developers and leaders about the best management practices for living near karst features. Participants can…

The Southwest Florida Management District and Hillsborough County are working together on a project that will improve water quality in the Tampa Bay watershed.The goal of this project is to reduce the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants in Cedar Lake East by building stormwater treatment systems within three interconnected ponds at Jean Park that drain directly into Cedar Lake East, and ultimately to Tampa Bay. Jean Park is located in the Forest Hills…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping at a nursery in southeastern Hillsborough County.The project will connect an existing 1.5-acre surface water reservoir to the irrigation system at Spring Valley Tree Farm, a 15-acre container nursery located along State Highway 574, west of Plant City, which is part of the Northern Tampa Bay Water Use Caution Area.The project will allow the Spring…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is asking for the public’s input on developing a land management plan for the Conner Preserve in Pasco County.A workshop will be held at the Starkey Environmental Education Center on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. The environmental education center is located at the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve at 10500 Wilderness Park Road in New Port Richey.The Conner Preserve encompasses 2,980 acres in the eastern central…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $113,138 in grants to 52 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 awareness…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District paid tribute to former Governing Board member Edward W. Chance today by renaming the Gilley Creek and Coker Prairie tracts the Edward W. Chance Preserve.Chance, who passed away in June, served on the District’s Governing Board and as the co-chair ex-officio of the Manasota Basin Board from 2000 to 2006.“Throughout his life, Ed worked to make the world a better place,” said Jerry Rice, Governing Board chair. “During his time…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Pinellas Park recently signed an agreement to move forward on the next phase of a project to collect and treat stormwater runoff, which will improve water quality in Sawgrass Lake.This multi-year funded project has several phases, including the design, development of construction documents, construction permitting, land acquisition, bidding and contractor selection and the actual construction of two stormwater…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Marion in Levy County.A public workshop will be held Wednesday, Oct. 11, at the Williston Community Center, 50 Northwest Main Street, Williston. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.A minimum flow or level (MFL) is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing…