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The public is invited to share ideas concerning potential water resources restoration projects when the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council meets on Oct. 19.The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council will meet at 3 p.m. in Conference Rooms A & B, 1st Floor, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District Headquarters, 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council was formed by the state Legislature in 2003. The…

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of September on the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA) in Hillsborough County. The LHFDA property is located in the area of U.S. 301 and Morris Bridge Rd. near Thonotosassa. Approximately 700 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor,…

For the third year in a row, the Southwest Florida Water Management District was recognized by the Pasco-Hernando Jobs and Education Partnership Regional Board, Inc. as one of the best places to work in the area.The District was named the best place to work in Hernando County among employers with more than 125 employees. One winner was chosen in each county for each size category. The categories are 1-50 employees, 51-125 employees and more than 125 employees. Employers…

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of August and September on the Deep Creek Preserve in Desoto County. The Deep Creek Preserve is located northeast of Port Charlotte, west of King's Highway and north of Deep Creek Estates. Approximately 400 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management manager, burns…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lake Wales City Hall Commission Chamber located at 201 West Central Avenue in Lake Wales. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Lakes Starr and Wailes. The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for…

Most of the Tampa Bay area will see temperatures near freezing tonight through Friday night. This 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 at night and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up each morning.During a freeze or near freezing temperatures, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop…

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 October through December on the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County. The Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. Highway 301 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near Thonotosassa.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday issued a water use permit (WUP) to Pasco County to supplement its reclaimed water system until its reclaimed water storage reservoirs are complete.The permit is for an annual average of 500,000 gallons of water per day (gpd) to be drawn from three new wells. Irrigation demands currently exceed the amount of available reclaimed water in Pasco County.The permit requires the county to follow two-day-per-…

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…

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 Weekiwachee Preserve in Pasco County. The property is located north of Hudson west of US Highway 19 and includes the Aripeka Sandhills (Aripeka Road) tract. Approximately 50 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns…

The Land Management Section of the "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of July, August, and September at Conner Preserve and the Upper Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area in Pasco County. These properties are located near Land-O-Lakes and the City of Zephyrhills, respectively. Approximately 1,500 acres are scheduled to be burned in small, manageable units. According…

Consistent with direction provided by Governor DeSantis, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has canceled all nonessential travel and implemented social distancing to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. All District offices will be closed to the public beginning March 17 until further notice. During this time, our staff will continue to conduct business and provide quality service from alternative work locations. We…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has released as much water out of Lake Tarpon as possible, however storm surge from Hurricane Debby is overtopping the structure and water cannot be released until the storm surge recedes.The Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal is one of 84 water-control structures throughout the District’s 16-county area. The three-mile canal extends from the south end of Lake Tarpon and empties into Old Tampa Bay. The structure is designed…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. The meeting is open to the public. Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding fully vaccinated people, wearing masks and social distancing will be optional at the meeting. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on…

Eight Pinellas County projects that have the potential to reach approximately 298,800 people were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants offer up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 32 grants Districtwide. This is the 12th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community…

  The District conducts “controlled, prescribed burns” on about 20,000 acres of District-managed lands annually. Many of Florida’s native plants and animals are dependent on fire to maintain balance within the ecosystem. Prior to human intervention, lightning-caused fires burned out of control until they were extinguished by rain or reached a natural barrier, such as a river. Due to development and population growth, natural wildfires are no longer allowed to…

At its June 6 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1827 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Peace River Basin Board area includes Hardee, DeSoto and portions of Polk, Highlands and Charlotte counties.This proposed millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the five county property appraisers, will result…

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 October through December on the Prairie Shell Creek Tract in Charlotte County. Prairie Shell Creek is located at 3081 Duncan Road (U.S. Highway 17), Punta Gorda. Approximately 150 acres will be…

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 October through December 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 300 acres will be…

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 October through December at Annutteliga Hammock in Hernando County. Annutteliga Hammock is located east of U.S. Highway 19, north of Centralia Road and south of the county line. Approximately 75 acres will be burned…