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Top: The finished baffle boxes at Lake Eva. Above: The Lake Menzie outfall before and after the restoration project. Stormwater runoff from urban areas flowing into Lake Eva in Haines City and Lake Menzie in Dundee is 60 to 80 percent less polluted thanks to projects cooperatively funded by the District. The two Polk County lakes were suffering from polluted runoff that flowed unchecked from urban areas. Since the local governments didn’t have the resources to…

Former Governing Board Member Bill Wilcox, left, and current Chair Ron Oakley visit Telegraph Swamp. District staff and Governing Board Chair Ron Oakley recently visited Babcock Ranch Preserve in Charlotte and Lee counties to look at how the preserve’s staff balanced land preservation and management issues with public access needs. The 73,000-acre preserve was purchased by the state of Florida and Lee County in 2006 to protect water resources, natural…

Due to lingering drought effects and water resources not recovering as quickly as other areas, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to maintain once-per-week lawn watering and other restrictions in the District’s northern region, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Levy and portions of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. This order in Marion County would be limited to the city of Dunnellon and the area encompassed by The Villages because…

District scientists continue to see increases in seagrass in Tampa Bay, which is an indicator of water quality. Scientists with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management, or SWIM program, released the results of its 2016 seagrass mapping study showing Tampa Bay now supports 41,655 acres of seagrass beds. This increase continues the success of the previous mapping efforts reported in 2015, supporting the largest amount of seagrass measured since the 1950s…

Several staff members in the Public Affairs Bureau (PAB) are using the leadership skills they’ve built at the District to now direct public relations professionals across the state.  Three PAB employees have recently been elected to lead public relations organizations. Terri Behling, External Affairs manager, has been serving as the state President of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) since August. Tara Poulton, Government Affairs Program manager, is…

A multimillion-dollar cooperative project among three government entities is cleaning up a watershed that eventually empties into Tampa Bay. The creation of McIntosh Park began when Hillsborough County purchased the 400-acre plot through its Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) for Plant City. The land is adjacent to the downstream segment of the Eastside Canal, which was built in the late 1930s to drain the 6,000-acre Eastside Canal…

Dozens of state and community leaders joined the District last week in kicking off the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project. The project, located just north of the Manatee County line in Ruskin, will feature more than 1,000 acres of restored  uplands and wetlands when completed in about two years. Executive Director Robert Beltran acknowledged the project was possible thanks to community partners like Hillsborough County.  “Over the years,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to declare a Phase II Water Shortage and implement one-day-per-week watering restrictions in the Tampa Bay area, due to reduced river levels and increasing water supply concerns.The Governing Board enacted Phase II restrictions for lawn watering throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The tighter restrictions begin December 26 and…

While tropical storms Beryl and Debby provided record rains to the region, they were not enough to restore hydrologic conditions to normal. That's why the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to extend its "Modified Phase III water shortage order":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/phase3.php.Phase III restrictions were extended until July 31 for Citrus, Hernando,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org is inviting the public to comment on proposed minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for Lake Hooker in Seffner at a public meeting on Thursday, June 14.The rule development public workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the District's Tampa Service Office, 7601 US Hwy 301, Tampa.The state Legislature requires the District to set "MFLs":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/mfl/ for priority water bodies…

While the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) encourages water conservation year-round, there is extra emphasis each April for Water Conservation Month. April is historically one of the driest months of the year and typically marks the peak demand season for public water suppliers. While we shelter at home to stay safe, here are 10 simple tips to lower your monthly water bill and do your part to save hundreds of gallons of water: INDOOR…

(See Upper Hillsborough Preserve for overall information.)

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored two Marion and Levy county projects during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday.

• Gail Mowry with the Marion County Clean Water Program was recognized for her work with the Clean Farms Initiative. This initiative addresses the issue of water quality that comes with the management of manure from…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is extending a water shortage emergency authorization that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Alafia River because Tampa Bay Water cannot use the full storage capacity of the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.The reservoir only has about 6.5 billion gallons in storage to facilitate inspection and investigation of the reservoir’s soil cement layer. When full, the reservoir stores approximately…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board heard today from District hydrologic data staff that the region’s water resources are recovering, but are still impacted from two years of drought.“We’re seeing improvements overall in hydrologic conditions but we are approaching the end of the rainy season in September,” said Granville Kinsman, District Hydrologic Data manager. “We still have much more room for the water resources…

Various views of the Tampa Bypass/Harney Park site, as well as Marilyn Samaha accepting the District’s first Land Resources Volunteer of the Year Award from Fritz Musselmann, land resources director. The countless hours Marilyn Samaha spent developing a recreational partnership among the District, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bypass Canal Rowing Council (TBCRC), which she created and serves as president, recently earned her the District’s first Land…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a renewal to a water use permit for the City of Auburndale.The renewal incorporates a modification to the existing water use permit to increase quantities and add two proposed production wells for public supply use. The new permit is for an annual average quantity of 7,036,300 gallons per day (gpd), which is an increase of 2,007,200 gpd or 40 percent.The city’s current adjusted per capita…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents to turn off their irrigation systems after it rains.During the winter months your lawn only needs water one-half to three-quarters of an inch every 10 to 14 days.Because the area is experiencing below-normal rainfall and groundwater conditions, the need to conserve is greater than ever. Outdoor water use can account for up to fifty percent of residential water use.“Many homeowners have a rain…

Four volunteers and an equestrian group who work with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program were presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national honor that recognizes volunteer dedication and signifies that each volunteer has served the community and country with distinction.The volunteers received their awards Tuesday at the District’s January Governing Board meeting in Brooksville.Elizabeth…

Next weekend Hillsborough County adults will have the opportunity to see what their kids have been enjoying in their schools for years.Stages Productions will perform two free, public shows of “Water Pigs,” a live, interactive water resource and conservation theatre presentation. The first performance is Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at the Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, located at 619 Vonderberg Drive in Brandon. The second performance is Saturday,…