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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.… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 197,000 gallons per day (gpd) at a Charlotte County citrus and cattle company.The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The FARMS project, proposed by Diner Citrus & Cattle Company and OSS, LLC, is located upstream from the City of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close all District-managed campgrounds and properties to include trails and day use areas throughout its 16-county region at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in anticipation of impacts from Hurricane Eta. The District will plan to reopen the campgrounds at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, unless otherwise indicated. For the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at… Read more

The Crystal Springs Foundation will receive a $1,800 grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2006 Community Education Grant Program.Crystal Springs Foundation, Inc. was awarded the funds for “Welcome to Our Watershed” workshops. This project expands upon the cooperator’s previous efforts and will target approximately 20,000 seasonal adult residents of Crystal Springs and Zephyrhills in Pasco County. The workshops will encourage residents to take an… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum levels for Lake Marion in Levy County.A public workshop will be held Monday, Dec. 12, at the Williston Community Center, 50 Northwest Main Street, Williston. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum flows for the upper segment of the Myakka River. The Upper Myakka River is the portion of the river from Myakka city to S.R. 72.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… 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

Left: Rep. Richard Glorioso, R-Plant City; Robert Brown, Plant City Commissioner; Heidi McCree, Governing Board member; Hugh Gramling, Hillsborough River Basin Board member; Fred Johnson, former Hillsborough River Basin Board member; and Devon Higginbotham, Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board member, visited the McIntosh Park site. The District’s new Governing Board chair knew early in life that his future lay in the citrus industry. Born in Avon Park and… Read more

Statewide Tracker System One of the reasons the state has been able to mobilize so efficiently to assist the victims of Hurricane Charley is the use of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) Tracker System. The system, which operates as a database, was implemented to coordinate needs and resources more efficiently. It was created after Hurricane Andrew struck south Florida in 1992. The system is managed and updated by the SEOC, a part of the Division of… Read more

Excellence in Engineering District employee Bill Hartmann recently received a pat on the back from his peers. Hartmann, who is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), was named the Government Engineer of the Year for 2002–2003. Hartmann was presented with the award at the annual dinner for the ASCE and the Florida Engineering Society. The award is for the ASCE’s Florida Section-Ridge Branch. There are about 100 members in the… Read more