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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a series of virtual meetings to discuss the District’s Land Management Plans. The purpose of these meetings is to inform the public about updates to these plans, to solicit input from stakeholders and to incorporate feedback from the public and stakeholders into the development of the new 10-year plans. The District adopts land management plans to ensure its public conservation lands are being…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ Governing Board Tuesday adopted its fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) millage rates for the General Fund and the seven "Basin Boards(Basin Boards)":/about/basinboards/.The "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard adopted a FY2011 millage rate of 0.3770 mill for the Districtwide General Fund, which is 0.0096 mill less than the current fiscal year's rate of 0.3866. This…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has recently signed agreements with Hernando County to develop comprehensive watershed management plans for several watersheds within the county.The plans will be used to determine feasible drainage alternatives that may be constructed to enhance and restore water quality and natural systems, or for flood relief. The plan will also assist local governments with their land management responsibilities and further the goals.Plans…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, Nov. 26 at the Quorum Hotel Westshore. The hotel is located at 700 N. Westshore Blvd in Tampa.The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and will include discussion about extending and possibly tightening the current one-day-per-week watering restrictions, which are scheduled to expire on Nov. 30.The Governing Board typically meets on Tuesdays. This month the meeting is…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board voted on Tuesday to expand hunting opportunities at two District-managed lands. Hunting opportunities will be expanded on these District properties: * Areas of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve located west of CR 471 in Pasco County that are not already designated as wildlife management areas will be developed to provide hunting opportunities for youths and the disabled.* The Lower Hillsborough Flood…

h2. First Test This Saturday, July 2 at 12:30 p.m. The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will begin monthly audible testing on Saturday, July 2, of an emergency siren located at a water control structure on Jack Creek in Lake Placid. The audible testing will occur the first Saturday of each month at 12:30 p.m. to ensure the siren performs properly. During testing, the siren will sound once for approximately 15…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will temporarily close the Flying Eagle Dead River Flats airboat slide due to required maintenance. The airboat slide is located on the Flying Eagle berm between the Withlacoochee River and Flying Eagle Marsh in eastern Citrus County.Maintenance activities will start April 14 and are scheduled to be completed by April 25. Attempts to use the slide in its current condition could damage airboats.The District operates…

District prepares for Hurricane FrancesBoat Lock at Wysong-Coogler Structure on Withlacoochee River ClosedIn preparation for Hurricane Frances, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is closing the boat ramp on the Wysong-Coogler Adjustable Water Conservation Structure (AWCS).The boat ramp on the Withlacoochee River will be temporarily closed to navigation Saturday, Sept. 4 and Sunday, Sept. 5 due to the storm. The closure may extend through Monday, depending on…

Polk county residents and families are invited to attend Water, Wings & Wild Things at Circle B Bar Reserve this Halloween. The free, annual event takes place Saturday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Water, Wings & Wild Things features more than 40 exhibitors providing fun opportunities to learn about the area’s nature and conservation efforts, including planting with native plants, water conservation and litter prevention.The Southwest Florida Water Management…

Southwest Florida Water Management District land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District land this fall and winter to help reduce the wild hog population.Beginning at 9 a.m. on Oct. 12, prospective hunters can purchase permits for these hunts on the District’s web site at WaterMatters.org/hoghunts/. Permits will be available on a first-come, first-…

A Southwest Florida Water Management District project will help a Hillsborough County vegetable grower reduce groundwater pumping and stormwater runoff.The project is at the Tornello Landscape Corporation and is part of the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program, which is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The project involves collecting stormwater from the roofs of three acres of…

As teachers go back to school, the Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind them about another important date to add to their calendar. The deadline to "apply for a Splash! mini-grant":/education/minigrants/ is Sept. 11, 2009.The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about their local watersheds and the freshwater resources within them. Splash! mini-grants provide up to $5,000 per school…

The school year may have come to an end, but educators interested in securing grant funding for next year can begin applying online for a Southwest Florida Water Management District Splash! mini-grant.Grant funding is for classroom projects that focus on water quality, natural systems, water conservation, alternative water sources, flood protection or watersheds.The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 25 at 10 a.m. at the Lake Eva Banquet Hall, located at 799 Johns Avenue in Haines City. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting materials…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve and the Annuteliga Hammock.The Annuteliga Hammock tract is located in Hernando County, near Royal Highlands and U.S. Hwy. 19. Approximately 260 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Weekiwachee Preserve is located in Hernando and Pasco counties, approximately one mile west of Spring…

The public is welcome to attend an informational meeting to discuss flooding and water quality issues in the Christina watershed in Polk County.The Southwest Florida Management District and Polk County are evaluating the watershed, located in and north of Mulberry in western Polk County within the District’s Alafia River Basin and part of the headwaters to the North Prong of the Alafia River. The watershed boundaries are roughly south of County Road 540A, east of…

The Southwest Florida Management District and Sarasota County are working together on a project that will improve water quality by treating stormwater runoff within the Hudson Bayou watershed.The project involves constructing a water quality treatment system, which will treat stormwater runoff by removing nutrients and sediment from the runoff before it is discharged into the Alderman Street ditch canal system. The treated stormwater makes its way from the canal system…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping at a strawberry farm in southeastern Hillsborough County.The project involves installing an integrated irrigation system that will include a weather station, soil moisture sensors, and automated valves at Berry Bay Farms.Installing a weather station helps farmers irrigate more precisely, based on weather conditions. For example, during frost-freeze…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum and guidance levels for selected Highlands County lakes.A public workshop will be held to discuss proposed levels for Lakes Angelo, Anoka, Denton, Placid, Tulane and Verona. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Highlands County Agri-Civic Center, 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring.A minimum flow or level (MFL) is the limit at which further water withdrawals will…