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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… Read more

Employee committee members Audra Owens-Powell, senior human resources specialist; Yassert Gonzalez, economist; Tammy Antoine, water conservation analyst; Chan Springstead, planner; Cindy Ortiz, senior administrative assistant; Josie Guillen, administrative assistant 2; and Darlene Johnson, senior administrative assistant, with the gifts for the children of the “adopted families.” For the thirteenth year, District employees have helped make the holidays brighter… Read more

Visitors can get a free look at the restoration of the Three Sisters Springs property this Saturday at an open house. The Friends of Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Inc. has partnered with the District, Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, the City of Crystal River and other organizations to offer several “free admission” days throughout manatee season in appreciation of the residents and businesses who support the Three Sisters property.  The area had… Read more

Several hundred Pasco County residents joined the District at its first “Get Outside!” Day community event at Starkey Wilderness Preserve’s Serenova Tract. The event was an opportunity for the District to introduce the property to the surrounding community and encourage more frequent use of the land. More than 400 people attended the event — 74 percent of whom were first-time visitors. “It was a beautiful day and a great turnout by local residents to enjoy a… Read more

The District continues to monitor lake and river levels and manage its water control structures around the clock during this historic flooding event caused by Hurricane Milton.Lake and River Level Update

• Lake water levels in most areas are starting to decline and most structures are discharging at maximum capacity. 
• Upper portions of the Hillsborough River have crested and are beginning to decline while the lower portions are…

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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 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… Read more

Your Questions Answered October 2022 Q: What is a water control structure? A: The primary purpose of the District’s water control structures is to manage the flow of water. Water control structures vary greatly in size and are used for multiple purposes. The District’s water control structures can be classified into three main categories: flood control, salinity barriers, and water conservation structures. These… Read more

Volunteer Contribution  Terry Yoder of the Citizen Support Organization, far right, receives an award from District Governing Board Chair Watson L. Haynes II, Governing Board member Janet D. Kovach, and Governing Board Vice Chair Heidi B. McCree. We always feed our volunteers well. If anyone wants to sign up, call me!” That’s one of the selling points Karen Michalak makes when she’s trying to recruit people to join the Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

Description: There is a place in the middle of the state, far from either coast, where people can go to experience the unaltered natural beauty of central Florida. The 51,000-acre East Tract of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve offers visitors the ability to hike, hunt, bike, camp or fish in a rare wilderness full of local flora and fauna. The Green Swamp East Tract, which stretches across Sumter, Lake, and Polk counties, contains a variety of habitat types —… Read more

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded more than $7.5 million in grants for water-quality enhancement projects in Citrus County to protect the health of Kings Bay and Crystal River’s unique spring-fed systems comprised of more than 70 freshwater springs throughout a 600-acre bay.  “We are pleased to provide springs funding for projects that will help restore and protect these important waterways,” said DEP Secretary Jon Steverson. “This… Read more

Left: Merry Mott from the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, far left; Lou Kavouras, District deputy executive director, second from right; and Sylvia Durell, District senior communications coordinator, far right, present the first-place award to the Rag Tag Team. Right: Sandra Harrison of Fernview Farm, left, and Ken Dobler from Ameriscape Services assemble an irrigation system during the Water It Right challenge. A team of industry… Read more