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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 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 $108,304 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 $108,304 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 $108,304 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…

Governor Charlie Crist recently reappointed Mitchell Hammer to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board.Hammer is a senior appraiser for the Internal Revenue Service who lives in New Port Richey. He was first appointed to the Board in June 2005. His current term ends March 1, 2011.The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin area includes Pinellas County and the southern portion of Pasco County.The District has seven regional Basin Boards that…

QR Codes Added for Most Up-to-Date Property DetailsThe Southwest Florida Water Management District published its new, free recreational guide highlighting nearly 70 properties. With its new sleeker design, users can scan QR codes to discover specific up-to-date details about each property.There are thousands of acres of recreational lands throughout the District and access to most of them is free to visitors. The new recreation guides also allow users to take notes…

The public is welcome to attend an information meeting to discuss water resources issues and watershed planning in the Roberts Bay North Watershed in Sarasota County.This public workshop will be held March 15, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Southgate Community Association Building, located at 3145 Southgate Circle in Sarasota.The Southwest Florida Management District and Sarasota County are evaluating conditions in the watershed, which is located in northwest Sarasota County and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the consolidation of three water use permits (WUP) for Sarasota County Utilities.The consolidated permit does not include an increase in quantities. The three permits that were consolidated allowed an annual average permitted quantity of 13,737,400 gallons per day (gpd). Additional quantities needed during the term of the permit will be met by the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 1 ActivationSouthwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 1 as they continue to monitor Hurricane Milton. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. The District is evaluating potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout its 16-county region.…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 1 ActivationSouthwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 1 as of 7 a.m., as they continue to monitor Hurricane Idalia. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. Level 1 activation is utilized when a specific weather situation has developed into an emergency. Level…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activationSouthwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Tropical Storm Idalia and have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2 as of 7 a.m. Monday. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency event.The District is continuing to monitor potential impacts from the storm that could occur…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is releasing as much water out of Lake Tarpon as possible, however anticipated storm surge from Hurricane Milton is expected to overtop the structure. Hurricane Milton is also forecasted to bring heavy rainfall to the region, which Hurricane Helene did not. The storm surge combined with the excessive rain could cause catastrophic flooding all around the lake and the outfall canal. Residents who live in and around…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a proposed rolled-back millage rate of 0.2801 mill for the proposed fiscal year 2020 budget. The millage rate is more than 5.2 percent lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.2955 mill, a savings to taxpayers of approximately $6.5 million. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, 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 June through August at Annuteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annuteliga Hammock is located east of U.S. Highway 19, north of Centralia Road and south of the county…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has developed a new conservation program to incentivize utilities, institutions and commercial water users to reduce their water use. This 50 percent cost-share reimbursement program, known as Water Incentives Supporting Efficiency or WISE, will support water conservation efforts Districtwide. WISE will award applicants up…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials will deactivate the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from a Level 2 to a Level 3 at 6 p.m. today. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency weather event. District officials had raised the activation level of the EOC Oct. 8 as Hurricane Michael moved through the Gulf of Mexico. Level 3 activation is a general state of monitoring used during…

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 year. That’s why the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, to review and solicit public feedback on the 2023 surplus lands assessment, which identified three properties for surplus in Hernando and Polk counties.The surplus lands assessment identifies lands that no longer meet the original acquisition purpose, or do not provide water resource benefits, such as flood control, recharge, water storage, water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during November and December on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in the Leisure Lakes area, approximately one mile west of US 27, three miles south of SR 66 and six miles northwest of Lake Placid. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of January through March on the Prairie-Shell Creek property in Charlotte County.The site is west of U.S. Hwy. 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…