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The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org and the City of St. Petersburg are offering city water customers a free sprinkler system checkup.St. Petersburg water customers who have an operating in-ground sprinkler system with a timer are eligible for the free program. Customers who irrigate with reclaimed, well or drinking water can apply for the program. Properties previously evaluated as part of the program in 2006 or after are not… Read more

The District’s Governing Board recently voted to begin the process of adding three first-magnitude spring systems — Weeki Wachee River, Chassahowitzka River and Homosassa River — to the Surface Water Improvement Management (SWIM) Program priority list.  The existing SWIM Program priority list includes two first-magnitude spring systems – Rainbow River and Crystal River/Kings Bay. Today’s action initiates bringing all five onto the SWIM Program priority list.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is once again advising homeowners with wells who live near Plant City and Dover to switch off the pumps on their wells tonight and Thursday night. A hard freeze is expected both nights.During a freeze, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop temporarily. Once aquifer levels fall below a well’s pump level, the pump can burn out if it is not shut off. An… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the cities of Bradenton and Palmetto as well as Manatee County to study the benefits of connecting their existing reclaimed water systems.The study will show how much reclaimed water can be taken from the City of Bradenton to be reused by the City of Palmetto and Manatee County over the next 20 years.The study will also develop preliminary designs for the pumping, transmission and control facilities required to… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in North Port.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The current FIRMs are 30 years old and are outdated because natural and physical changes caused… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in Citrus County's Cardinal Lane watershed.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are outdated… Read more

A water conservation project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Bradenton will provide residents with water saving devices to retrofit their toilets.Bradenton residents who have high volume toilets made before 1995 are eligible to receive Water Saver devices that are used inside the toilet tank. Approximately 8,000 of the devices are available for distribution.The city estimates this project may conserve as much as 60,000 gallons of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 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… Read more

Editor's note: See last page for map of county and watersheds The Southwest Florida Water Management District is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in the county. The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on their national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are outdated because of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is offering six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and travels without running up your water bill.During the holidays, water plays a role in everything from preparing your food to prepping your home for time away during this festive season. Here’s how to incorporate water conservation into your holiday plans:

• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water…

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Two Citrus County projects were awarded Community Education grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. 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 49 grants Districtwide for a total of $171,444. This is the 10th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively… Read more

WhoSouthwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled hunters and volunteer guidesWhatThe District has partnered with the NWTF/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this gun hunt, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors. Participants will use shotguns and rifles during the deer and hog hunt.WhenSaturday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m.WhereThe hunt will be held on the District’… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Sandra Haynes, a Dunellon Middle School teacher, for her role in an outstanding school program that focused on water resources education. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.Haynes organizes the Promoting Awesome Watershed Stewardship (PAWS) Legacy project, which has given students the opportunity to undertake… Read more

Water CHAMP is our Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program Join our free program to help save water for our future in ways that save money. Hotels and motels use an average of 21,537 gallons per day of water. This checklist below will help facility managers evaluate the appropriateness of water-saving adjustments for improving the… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns January through March on the Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County.Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2 miles east of Dunnellon and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando and is bounded by County Road 484 on the north, State Road 200 on the southeast… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns June through September on the Prairie Shell Creek Tract in Charlotte County. Prairie Shell Creek is located at 3081 Duncan Road (U.S. Highway 17) in Punta Gorda. Approximately 300 acres will be… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of October through March on the Lake Panasoffkee Preserve in Sumter County. The property is located near Interstate 75 and State Road 44. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic natural fire cycles under… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns June through September on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County. Deep Creek Preserve is located at 10797 Peace River Street in Arcadia, east of State Road 769. Approximately 600 acres will be… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, July 26, 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 video feed begins approximately 15 minutes… Read more

A freeze warning is in effect tonight for most of the Tampa Bay area. This warning has prompted the Southwest Florida Water Management District to advise residents who live near Plant City and Dover to switch off the pumps on their wells tonight and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up Tuesday morning.During a freeze, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop temporarily. Once aquifer levels fall… Read more