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The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pasco County are holding a workshop for developers, engineers and the general public to review and comment on a watershed management plan for the Anclote River watershed, which is located west of the Suncoast Parkway.The workshop is being held at the Land O’ Lakes Public Library on Wednesday, Aug. 22 from 4 until 7 p.m. The library is located at 2818 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.A watershed is an area of land that… Read more

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Englewood Water District will bring reclaimed water to residents who live in the Stillwater subdivision.The project includes the construction of 4,379 linear feet of six-inch reclaimed water transmission main line and the necessary valves and controllers to connect the Stillwater subdivision to the Englewood Reuse System.The Stillwater subdivision is currently under development. The 91 homes built… Read more

Getting a well construction permit now can be just a point and click away thanks to a new online application process developed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The District issues more than 20,000 well construction permit applications each year.“This application revolutionizes the way that we conduct business by reducing paperwork, streamlining our business processes, and placing more power in the hands of the individual computer users,” said Terry Redman,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pasco County recently signed an agreement to work together on a project that will maximize the use of reclaimed water resources in the county.The Pasco County Wet Weather Reclaimed Water Reservoir project involves constructing a reservoir on 35 acres next to the Land O’ Lakes wastewater treatment facility. The reservoir will be built to store up to 100 million gallons of reclaimed water from the facility.Reclaimed… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a modification that increases the amount of water Haines City can withdraw per day.The modification increased the citys permitted withdrawals from 3.83 million gallons per day (mgd) to 5.71 mgd. The increases are needed because of an increase in population.Nine wells are associated with this modified permit. Two of the wells are currently agricultural wells and will be retrofitted for public… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project that could replenish the Floridan aquifer by up to two to three million gallons of water per day (mgd).The project involves the development of an alternative water supply at CF Industry’s South Pasture mine, located in Hardee County. The plan is to capture excess surface water and storm water at the mine and route it through a constructed wetlands treatment area, and then to a sand… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is teaming up with the United States Geological Survey and the American Ground Water Trust to offer a free, two-day Ground Water Institute for teachers in the Peace River watershed.The Ground Water Institute is June 5 and 6 at the Turner Agric-Civic Center in Arcadia and is open to educators from schools and organizations in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties, specifically middle and high school teachers.The… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping at a DeSoto County farm.The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The FARMS project at Island Grove Agricultural Products, Inc. is located on its 57-acre blueberry farm in the Joshua Creek Watershed. The property drains to Hog Bay Slough, a… Read more

Gov. Jeb Bush recently reappointed William Bunch and appointed Samuel Lyons to the Coastal Rivers Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Coastal Rivers Basin Board represents portions of Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus Counties.William Bunch lives in Crystal River and owns Oysters Restaurant. He joined the basin board March 2, 2002 when he succeeded Margaret West. Mr. Bunch’s current term began August 3 and ends March 1, 2008.Samuel Lyons is… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the City of Anna Maria on a project that will reduce flooding and improve water quality.The Gladiolus/North Shore Basin Drainage Improvements project involves installing approximately 3,200-linear feet of 1-foot deep dry retention swales, approximately 700-linear feet of high density polyethylene and reinforced concrete pipe, six inlet control structures and a baffle structure at each of the four basin outfall… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $107,969 in grants to 58 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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $107,969 in grants to 58 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… Read more

Emergency Operations Center at Level 1 Activation Southwest 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 Ian. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. The District is monitoring storm forecasts associated with Hurricane Ian throughout its 16-county region. In response… Read more

Fifty-one Hillsborough County teachers and three private school 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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Citrus County. Residents living in the North Citrus Withlacoochee River watershed are invited to attend an open house June 29 at 4 p.m. at the Coastal Region Library, located at 8619 W. Crystal Street in Crystal River. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the basis behind the… Read more

At its June 10 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 11.19 percent decrease in ad valorem… Read more

At its June 4 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s newly merged Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.2421 mill. The Hillsborough River Basin Board area covers Hillsborough County and portions of Pasco and Polk counties.The Hillsborough River and the Northwest Hillsborough Basin Boards were merged effective Jan. 1, 2009. For FY2009, the Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a millage rate… Read more

At its July 24 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.2308 mill, which is .03 less than the current fiscal year. This reduction is in accordance with the tax reduction mandated by the Florida Legislature.The FY2008 millage rate has been set equal to 97 percent of the rolled-back rate in compliance with House Bill 1B, the tax reform legislation signed into law by Gov.… Read more

More than 500 volunteers who spend thousands of hours a year helping the Southwest Florida Water Management District maintain and improve public lands, as well as restore Tampa Bay, were honored this weekend during the District’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day.The celebration was held at the District’s Lake Panasoffkee property and featured an awards presentation, exhibits, live music, a picnic lunch and a nature hike.Approximately 450 volunteers are involved with the… Read more

Education in Action Mother Earth didn’t change the way she moves water through the cycle, District staff just thought of a better way to teach it. That’s the story behind the new and improved hydrologic cycle poster that’s hitting elementary school classrooms across the District. The new poster was developed because Youth Education staff felt the circular model was teaching a… Read more