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The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored four outstanding Polk County water resources education projects. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.

• Johnna Martinez was recognized for her work with the Lakes Education/Action Drive program, which informed Polk County residents about water resource and water quality issues, as well as lake…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a project that will help a DeSoto County blueberry farm further reduce groundwater pumping.Island Grove Agricultural Products has three farms located in the Joshua Creek and Prairie Creek watersheds and are within five miles of each other. The project involves constructing an integrated, automated irrigation system for these three farms.The irrigation system includes two weather…

Who: Approximately 70 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County and Southwest Florida Water Management District staffWhat: The District is coordinating a field trip at the Weekiwachee Preserve for children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County. The youth will learn about land management techniques by witnessing a controlled burn demonstration and seeing staff demonstrate a variety of equipment they use in the field.They will also…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recently completed an evaluation of public hunting facilities on District lands that indicated a 64 percent increase in hunting opportunities.The District owns a total of 331,700 acres with almost half dedicated to public hunting programs. Of the 331,700 acres, there are 133,795 acres committed to agreements with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, totaling 10 sites within six counties.Wildlife…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFL) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.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 the delicate balance between meeting human water needs and those…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2006 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 34 grants Districtwide for a total of $151,278. Of those 34 grants awarded, two were awarded to groups in Citrus County.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to…

Hotels and motels in both Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa saved 35 million gallons of water during 2004 while participating in the Southwest Florida Water Management District water conservation program known as Water C.H.A.M.P. or Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program.Based on City of Tampa and Hillsborough County potable water rates, that translates into more than $180,000 in savings per year to participating hoteliers.The Water C.H.A.M.P. is a “linens…

In Florida, the winter is full of festivals and events, perfect places for the Southwest Florida Water Management District to spread the word about water conservation!The District will continue to spread its conservation message this year by bringing the comforts of a private, water-conserving bathroom to several community festivals, including the 6th Annual African American Heritage Celebration. The event is Feb. 26 at the Pinewood Cultural Center in Largo.“Special…

Douglas B. Tharp was sworn into office at the District’s September Governing Board meeting. Tharp, a retired industrial engineer who lives in The Villages, was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to represent Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties on the District’s Governing Board. He will also serve as the co-chair ex officio of the Withlacoochee River Basin Board. Tharp joins the Governing Board with a strong interest in the environment as…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns in July and August at the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County. Deep Creek Preserve is located in southwest DeSoto County, east of Kings Highway. Approximately 542 acres will be burned in…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in Citrus county. 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 because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and…

At its June 16 meeting, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The "Manasota Basin Board(Manasota Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/manasota.php area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in property…

To see how staff are cleaning up District managed properties click here: https://youtu.be/Ir-hYWT1biQ Feel free to use this video on your website or newscasts. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has reopened the majority of District-managed lands throughout its 16-county region. The Districted closed all District-managed lands in September in…

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area may see freezing temperatures during early morning hours on Sunday. 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 Saturday night and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up in the morning. Temperatures are expected to drop below 34 degrees for several hours early Sunday morning.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently approved an agreement to continue to help fund the St. Petersburg Sensible Sprinkling Program, which focuses on outdoor water conservation.As part of the program, approximately 300 residents may participate at no charge. Those who participate will receive an irrigation system evaluation, site-specific recommendations, rain sensor installation if an operable sensor is not present, Florida-friendly landscaping…

Nineteen Pasco County teachers are among the educators who were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.This year 206 "Splash! grants(Splash! School Grants)":/education/schoolgrants were awarded to educators across "the District's 16-county region":/data/map.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Pasco County to the…

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 Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County. The Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S.…

Eight Hillsborough County projects expected to reach more than 175,000 people were awarded Community Education Grants from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org. 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 "35 grants Districtwide(2010 Community Education Grant Projects)":http://www.…

Eileen Hart recently received special recognition from the Southwest Florida Water Management’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board for her commitment to water resources.Hart received a special recognition award for her role as a citizen advocate for the protection of water resources. Hart has regularly attended the Governing Board meetings to speak out about the issues impacting the wellfields, lakes and wetlands in her neighborhood.Her advocacy played a role in the…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns January through March on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County. Deep Creek Preserve is located at 10797 Peace…