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The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of March at two preserves in Hernando County.Approximately 400 acres at Weekiwachee Preserve will be burned in small, manageable units. The property is located west of US Highway 19 between Spring Hill and Hernando Beach. Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed burn events.Approximately 300 acres at Annuteliga…

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of 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. The District will be also be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of December…

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of March, April, May and June on Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract. Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, is located between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which is located south and north of Interstate 75 just north of Deer…

The Land Management Section of the "Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of October, November, and December on Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract. Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, is located between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which is located south and north of…

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of October through March at two preserves in Hernando County.Approximately 400 acres at Weekiwachee Preserve will be burned in small, manageable units. The property is located west of US Highway 19 between Spring Hill and Hernando Beach. Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed burn events.Approximately 300 acres at…

An educational workshop on well construction issues will bring together District staff and well construction contractors on September 24 at District headquarters in Brooksville. Sandy Semegen, Brooksville field services supervisor, is facilitating the workshop. During the day, contractors will attend several education sessions, including enforcement and how the District handles cases of well contractor violation; online tools, taught by Steve Camp, professional…

Two District communication projects have taken top honors at this year’s Florida Government Communicators Association (FGCA) Awards Banquet. The FGCA Crystal Awards recognize excellence in government communications. The District received first-place Crystal Awards for the Who We Are & What We Do brochure and the District’s web site, WaterMatters.org. Who We Are & What We Do Brochure This single-topic publication provides overviews on…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $104,941.81 in grants to 48 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $104,941.81 in grants to 48 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the District's Annutteliga Hammock in Hernando County.Annutteliga Hammock is located in the Royal Highlands area of northwest Hernando County, just south of Citrus County's Sugarmill Woods development. Approximately 120 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold two virtual public workshops seeking feedback on the draft 2025 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). The virtual workshops will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 25 and at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 26.A new plan is developed every five years and presents the projected water demands across the District and all water use sectors for a 20-year planning period. The plan also identifies water supply sources and…

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 Potts Preserve and Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps in Citrus County. Potts Preserve is located approximately 2 miles east of the city of Hernando and 3.5 miles…

Hispanic Outreach Nearly 10 percent of the people who live in the District are Hispanic, and for many, Spanish is their first language. To reach that audience with a water conservation message, the District developed the Hispanic Outreach Program. The idea behind the campaign began with the Governing Board’s Diversity Committee, said project manager John Walkinshaw. Spanish-speaking District employees also showed an interest in promoting the outreach. Alberto…

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 July through September on the Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract (Gilley Creek) and Coker Prairie…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is hosting a public workshop Nov. 8 to provide information and get feedback on the Weeki Wachee Natural System Carrying Capacity Study. The purpose of the study is to evaluate how recreational use affects the natural system along the Weeki Wachee River. During Thursday’s workshop, staff from the District, Hernando County and the consultant group will be available to explain the intent of the study and how the data will…

Known for being a role model and a leader at the District, Roberta Starks has now received recognition from Hillsborough Community College (HCC). Starks was recognized at the college’s alumni award ceremony in December. The event, which was the first of its kind at HCC, honored 40 alumni in celebration of the college’s 40th anniversary. “The task for selecting only 40 remarkable alumni was a difficult one for our committee,” said Gwendolyn Stephenson, Ph.D., HCC…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activationSouthwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Hurricane Milton and have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency weather event.Hurricane Milton has the potential to bring significant rainfall to our area throughout the District’s 16-county…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during November and December on the Prairie-Shell Creek property in Charlotte County.The site is west of US 17 and east of the Peace River, approximately eight miles northeast of Punta Gorda. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, controlled burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. According…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 11, to review and solicit public feedback on the recent surplus lands assessment review. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss two parcels of land that will be recommended to the Governing Board to be declared surplus. The parcels include a one-acre parcel along the District’s Tampa Bypass Canal and a 63-acre parcel along the District’s Lake Panasoffkee…