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Second-grade students from Learning Gate Community School collect specimens at a pond on the school property as part of their 2011 Splash! school grant project. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of Environmental Education has recognized three schools in the District with 2011 Florida Green Schools Awards. The Florida Green Schools Awards is a partnership between DEP, the Department of Education, Florida’s Foundation and the…

The Florida Audubon Society has recognized a Southwest Florida Water Management District employee for his extraordinary contribution to saving places that make Florida special.Henry Dean, Audubon Board member and former Executive Director of the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts, presented the Florida Audubon Special Places Award to Fritz Musselmann, land resources director, during Audubon’s Annual Assembly.The award was presented to…

Celebrate February as Florida Hiking Trails Month exploring the more than 850 miles of hiking trails on District lands.  Florida Hiking Trails month, recognized by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, encourages Floridians to take advantage of Florida’s extensive trail system. Many trails on District lands are nearby and also are open for related activities such as nature study, bird watching, photography, jogging and backpacking.  The…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is celebrating February as Florida Hiking Trails Month by inviting the public to ""Get Outside!"(Get outside and explore more than 50 recreation sites on conservation lands)":/recreation/ and explore the more than 850 miles of hiking trails on District lands. The "Florida Department of Environmental Protection(Florida Department of Environmental…

Left, Harry Downing accepts a first-place award for equitation at a horse show in Homosassa, FL; Center, Harry and wife Diane; Right, Harry waterskiing on Hunter’s Lake in Hernando County. A Florida native with a love of the outdoors, Harry Downing was drawn to work in support of the environment. Downing was born in St. Petersburg and moved with his family to Brooksville at age 10. He took to his new environment right away, naturally favoring the outdoors and…

Tampa residents have new living options that offer water efficiency and affordability.District leaders celebrated Earth Day last week by awarding Florida Water Star℠ Community certification to the latest apartment building in the Encore!, a mixed-used redevelopment complex in downtown Tampa. The Reed is the third building in…

The Florida Senate has confirmed the appointments of seven Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board members.

• Bryan K. Beswick represents DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties and his term ends March 1, 2020.
• John Henslick represents Manatee County and his term ends March 1, 2021.
• James G. Murphy represents Polk County and his term ends March 1, 2021.
• Joel Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota…

District Honored For Medard Reservoir Rehabilitation Project The District’s Operations Department has some new “hardware” to show off. The District recently received the American Public Works Association (APWA) Contractor of the Year Award for its excellent work on the Medard Reservoir Rehabilitation Project. The District was one of three private and public organizations that received the award in the state of Florida. “The Operations Department is very pleased to…

Your Questions Answered December 2021 Q: Why does the District issue permits? A: Water is a public resource that belongs to all of us. However, fresh water is not limitless. Excessive water withdrawals can harm the resources. Other human activities also pose threats. Without the proper safeguards for wetlands, floodplain encroachment and stormwater runoff can cause pollution and flooding. District permitting…

h2. May 8-16 is National Travel and Tourism WeekVisitors to west-central Florida can enjoy the area's natural beauty and still make a difference in preserving its natural resources, thanks to conservation programs developed by the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us. National Travel and Tourism Week is May 8-16, and the District offers many ways to celebrate tourism without sacrificing the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District today approved an important plan to coordinate efforts with two other water management districts to meet the growing water supply needs of a five-county region in Central Florida while also protecting the water and related natural resources.The Action Plan for the Central Florida Coordination Area is a cooperative effort among the Southwest Florida, South Florida and St. Johns River water management districts. The Coordination…

December 2023Q: Why is conserving water outdoors important?A:  Typically, outdoor water use accounts for about 50 percent of water consumed by households, so it’s important to pay attention to your outdoor water use. If using a permanent inground irrigation system, conduct regular maintenance to ensure the system is working properly and make seasonal adjustments throughout the year. If using a non-permanent above-ground…

As the Invasive Plant Threatens to Gain a Foothold in the Green Swamp, Agencies Cooperate to Fight It Photo courtesy USDI National Park Service With threats from new invasive plants and animal species continuing to rise in Florida, the District is battling to keep Old World climbing fern from infesting the 560,000-acre Green Swamp. Old World climbing fern, a new invasive vine, is spreading northward from south Florida and has been detected and treated as…

A new way to learn about Sarasota County’s watersheds will be unveiled during this year’s Watershed Awareness Week, Oct. 12-18.The Science and Environment Council of Sarasota County (SEC) has developed a Watershed Mobile Phone Audio Tour that can easily be accessed from any cell phone by calling 941-926-6813. The tour features 15 different watershed education messages, which coincide with locations people can visit.The Southwest Florida Water Management District…

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 March through September 2018 on Potts Preserve and the Two Mile Prairie Connector parcel in Citrus County. Potts Preserve is located approximately two miles east of the City of Hernando…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time.Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures.The District is currently…

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…

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…

District leaders recently helped celebrate the dedication of Habitat for Humanity homes that received the Florida Water Star℠ certification. The four homes were built in the Laurel Gardens Community in Nokomis. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that, together with volunteers and donations, helps to build homes for families in need. The families help build the homes. The builders incorporated water-saving features into the new homes like efficient…

Visitors can learn how to protect Florida's precious springs through a variety of activities during Citrus County's "Save Our Waters Week":http://soww.citrus2020.org/.The weeklong event, bringing awareness about the area's springs, is coordinated by Citrus 20/20 Inc. and is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's regional "Springs Awareness Week":http://www.WaterMatters.org/Springs campaign. The week's activities run from Friday, Sept. 14 to Saturday, Sept…