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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back 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. All 16 counties… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized six Polk County projects as outstanding school, community grant or volunteer programs that focus on water resources education. A total of 52 projects were recognized during the October 7 Reflect, Connect, Celebrate Water Resources Education Conference at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs.To select the awardees, District staff reviewed grants applied for by teachers… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the… Read more

District staff and their family members recently took a volunteer trip to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to help transplant coral.  Patricia Williams, senior revenue compliance coordinator, and son Tyler; and Keith Kolasa, senior environmental scientist, and son Cole, participated in the transplanting.   The teens are part of the SCUBAnauts International program, a marine education program for teens.  The teens worked with Mote… Read more

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

• Jack Bispham represents Manatee County. Bispham was appointed to the Governing Board in Nov. 2019. He was reappointed in May 2021 and his term ends March 1, 2025.  
• John Hall represents Polk County. Hall was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2021 and his term ends March 1, 2025.  …

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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 early spring. That's why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns November through March 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… Read more

• Many rivers in the Tampa Bay region have been severely impacted by flooding from Hurricane Milton. The only flood records higher than what we are experiencing now were in the early 1930s.
• The region received above average rainfall in its rainy season of June through September, and its lakes, streams, ponds, wetlands and aquifer levels were already full before Hurricane Milton brought a tremendous amount of rain to the region…

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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… Read more

The public is invited to an open house Thursday, June 28 for a plan to address the current and long-term water supply needs in the central Florida region.A regional water supply plan is being developed by the Central Florida Water Initiative, a collaboration of agencies to address water issues in southern Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Seminole counties. The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org is part of the initiative, which is focused… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of Daylight Saving Time.Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back 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 current water restrictions.Under the… Read more

Historical Groundwater and Surface Water Levels, Rainfall and Evapotranspiration DataLast-Recorded Value App »Find the most recent water level or rainfall value for data collection sites.Daily… Read more

Audubon of Florida honored a District employee this fall for his role in saving the land that makes Florida a special place to live, work, visit and explore. 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. “In the face of decades of explosive growth, he… Read more

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staff and approximately 70 childrenWhat: The District’s 13th Annual “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” Students between the ages of nine and 18 will spend the day at the District headquarters and service offices learning about District careers. This year the event will focus on empowering the youth to conserve water.The opening ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. Following the ceremony, the students will… Read more

SurveysSurveys are the method for collecting quantitative information on an area of interest. The District uses surveys to acquire information from residents about attitudes, behaviors and knowledge regarding water conservation and water quality. 2024 November Weeki Wachee River Campaign Annual Survey Report2024, 438 Respondents During the summers of 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 the District led a campaign providing science-based recommendations to users of… Read more

On Top of the World (OTOW), an active adult community in Ocala, plans for all future homes to achieve Florida Water Star℠ (FWS) certification over the next 20 years, saving residents millions of dollars and millions of gallons of water.   Nearly 5,000 FWS-certified homes will be constructed, using about 240 million gallons of water less per year than traditional construction. In addition, homeowners will spend approximately $530 less on utility bills annually for… Read more

           A piece of “Old Florida” sprang to life this October as men and women on horseback drove dozens of cattle across the open-range and dusty trails of the Potts Preserve in Citrus County. The Seventh Annual Cracker Cattle Drive was coordinated by the Hernando Heritage Council and the Citrus County Cattlemen’s Association. Approximately 75 head of cattle were driven across private land and portions of Potts Preserve until they… Read more

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… Read more

Spring is the time when many people start thinking about gardening. This spring, Citrus County residents have the opportunity to learn about Florida-friendly landscaping and water-conserving irrigation practices. A “Florida-Friendly Landscaping 101” workshop will be conducted in Lecanto at the Citrus County Canning Center on April 30, 8 a.m to 2 p.m. The workshop will focus on these topics:Right plant, right placeEfficient irrigation and water useFertilizing… Read more

Sarasota developer Lee Wetherington received special recognition Wednesday for his commitment to water resources from the Southwest Florida Water Management’s Manasota Basin Board.The Manasota Basin Board chose to honor Wetherington for taking the lead in getting Sarasota County’s landscape ordinance passed and adopting Florida-friendly landscaping practices in his developments.Wetherington’s Misner Reserve at Lakewood Ranch was the first Florida Yards and… Read more