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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will activate the Tampa Bypass Canal system tonight in response to heavy rains in the Tampa Bay area from Hurricane Hermine. This action will close the Hillsborough River to boaters, and boat barriers will be in place by approximately 8 p.m. The Hillsborough River has reached an elevation of 25 feet above sea level, which triggers the Army Corps of Engineers activation level of the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has activated the Tampa Bypass Canal System due to anticipated heavy rains from Hurricane Milton to help protect the cities of Temple Terrace and Tampa from river flooding.The District is preemptively closing S-155 on the Hillsborough River before Hurricane Milton makes landfall to decrease freshwater discharge from the river into Tampa Bay during the forecasted historic storm surge and to minimize flood risks from…

Scientists with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program are optimistic about an overall increase in the growth of seagrass in Tampa Bay, as well as nearby Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and St. Joseph Sound. Seagrass generally grows in waters less than six feet deep and is an important barometer of a bay’s health because it requires relatively clean water to flourish. Seagrass beds serve as “nurseries of the bay,” sheltering and…

At its June 20 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board adopted a tentative fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.265 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The tentative budget for FY2006 is $7,604,321, which is a decrease of $3,708,017 from the approved FY2005 budget. The main reason for this major budget decrease is because the District received a $4,320,000 state appropriation for the Lake…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) is gathering input to better identify flooding risks in the Peace Creek watershed.The District is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). As part of the effort, updates are being made to the floodplain information for the Peace Creek watershed.The District is holding an open house in Polk County to present…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted its proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rates for the General Fund and the seven Basin Boards.The Governing Board adopted a proposed FY2010 millage rate of 0.3866 mill for the District’s General Fund, which is the same as the current fiscal year. FY2010 will run from Oct. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010.The total proposed FY2010 budget for the District is $299.9 million, 20.33…

Left: The loader machine strips the branches off the tree, cuts it to length and loads it onto the semitrailer. Center: Trees being loaded onto the semitrailer. Right: Will VanGelder, District senior land management specialist, counts the rings on a harvested sand pine. Starkey restoration area in southwestern Pasco County. The sound of chainsaws and heavy equipment ushered in the beginning of a three-year restoration project at the District’s J.B…

City of Lakeland Water Utilities customers are still eligible to participate in a toilet rebate program aimed at conserving water.The toilet rebate program, which is cooperatively funded by the city and the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Alafia River, Peace River and Hillsborough River Basin Boards, offers rebates to replace high-volume toilets with water-efficient, low-flow toilets or high-efficiency toilets. Low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush or less…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting the public to comment on proposed minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for the Anclote River at a public workshop on Monday, Oct. 12. The workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the District’s Tampa Service Office, 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa.The state Legislature requires the District to set MFLs for all water bodies within the District. A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David Moore modified a water shortage emergency order Wednesday that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Tampa Bypass Canal to help the City of Tampa meet its demand for potable water.The modified executive order, which is in effect until…

Construction is under way on a cooperative project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Dunedin to restore approximately 30 acres of wetlands within the city’s Hammock Park.Preliminary clearing is being done at select project areas within the park. Hammock Park is located north of downtown Dunedin and east of Alternate U.S. 19 and is one of the last remnants of forest that was typical of this coastal region before the area was…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hernando County are holding another public meeting to present preliminary floodplain information and explain the basis behind the findings.The information will be used to update area floodplain information and develop preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency (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…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David Moore signed a water shortage emergency order (order 08-043 ) Thursday that will allow Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Tampa Bypass Canal to help the City of Tampa meet its demand for potable water.Tampa relies primarily on its Hillsborough River Reservoir to meet the water needs of 656,000 residents. As of Oct. 14,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to invite local schools to participate in this year’s World Water Monitoring Day activities.World Water Monitoring Day is actually a month-long, international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. The annual event invites students to monitor the quality of their local rivers, streams, estuaries, and other waterbodies from September 18 to…

The Southwest Florida Management District’s Governing Board approved funding Tuesday to use the remaining funds from a project that evaluates alternatives for reducing flooding and improving water quality within the Brooker Creek Watershed to do the same for three adjacent watersheds.The Brooker Creek Watershed is approximately 30 square miles located within Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. This area has experienced significant hydrologic changes due to rapid…

The Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering to one-day-per-week throughout the 16 counties within the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is in effect.The restrictions apply to the use of water from public and private water utilities as well as the use of all wells and surface water sources (ponds, rivers, etc.). The order will remain in place until July 31 unless otherwise modified or rescinded by the executive director or the District Governing Board.…

During the dry season, the Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind homeowners that they can conserve water by maintaining current kitchen and bathroom fixtures or by upgrading to water conserving fixtures.A dripping faucet can waste up to 30 gallons of water per day. Dripping faucets can be repaired by replacing the washers or tightening the fixture. A variety of repair kits can be found in local home improvement and hardware stores. Most kits…

Project will help meet minimum flows in the Upper Peace RiverThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday authorized the implementation of the Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project.The project will raise the lake’s water level by raising the control elevation of the existing outflow structure to store additional water that later can be released into the Upper Peace River during dry periods. The project is a critical component of the…

Public participation will be provided through online viewing or conference call options The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. remotely. Following the Governor’s directions to reduce public gatherings and practice social distancing…

With the holiday season upon us, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is asking residents to make water conservation a new tradition.“This holiday season it is especially important to conserve water because the District is still experiencing impacts from two years of drought and we are now in the dry season,” said Robyn Felix, the District’s media relations manager. “We can all make a difference by incorporating a few simple tips into our…