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***The District’s Surplus Lands Committee has been canceled. The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, March 26 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. At 10:30 a.m. or immediately following the Governing Board meeting, the District’s Surplus Lands Committee will meet. The Committee will hold a series of meetings to evaluate 44,672 acres of…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during June, July and August on the Deep Creek property in DeSoto County.The site is east of Kings Highway, west of the Peace River and north of Deep Creek Estates. Approximately 500 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 to District Land…

Left: Chris Busser, left, and Corbin Bassingwaite plant marsh grass at Clam Bayou. Right: Kyle Carey helped organize the planting of 3,500 units of marsh grasses. Eagle Scout candidate Kyle Carey of Boy Scout Troop 45 and 30 volunteers spent about 5½ hours planting 3,500 units of marsh grasses at the District’s Clam Bayou Ecosystem Restoration and Stormwater Treatment Project in St. Petersburg. Carey spearheaded the volunteer project as part of his efforts to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during September and October on the Deep Creek property in DeSoto County.The site is east of Kings Highway, west of the Peace River and north of Deep Creek Estates. Approximately 400 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 to District Land…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August on the Deep Creek property in DeSoto County.The site is east of Kings Highway, west of the Peace River and north of Deep Creek Estates. Approximately 400 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 to District Land Manager…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August at a section of the District’s Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area, which is also known as Flatwoods Park.The property is located off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in the New Tampa area. Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed…

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 last spring. That's why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns in April and May on the Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract (Gilley Creek) and Flatford Swamp Preserve in Manatee County. The Gilley Creek property is located between State…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during August at a section of the District’s Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area, which is also known as Flatwoods Park.The property is located off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in the New Tampa area. Approximately 500 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 will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during February and March on the District’s Cypress Creek property in Pasco County. The property is approximately 3 miles east of Land O’ Lakes. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 250 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a management agreement that will allow the Sumter County Parks and Recreation Department to develop a 70-acre park within the District’s Lake Panasoffkee project area.The agreement will allow the county to construct and maintain a park that will primarily be used for living history events and displays like a Native American village and pioneer settlement structures. There will…