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An area home builder has been honored for the second time in one year for the use of water-wise landscaping.Rusaw Homes was presented with the Water-Wise Landscape Recognition Award Thursday at the Citrus County Builders Association Spring Parade of Homes event. This is a repeat performance for the builder, which also received the top award during the fall Parade of Homes.The winning design can be seen at Rusaw Homes’ Oakdale Anniversary model, 2819 West Lantana Drive… Read more

Visitors can experience Florida’s freshwater springs through a variety of outdoor activities, musical entertainment and guest speakers during the 8th Annual Marion County Springs Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Silver River State Park.Experts will speak about Florida’s springs and springs protection, as well as Marion County’s irrigation and fertilizer ordinances and Florida-friendly landscaping.In addition to the guest speakers,… Read more

Low water levels on Lake Panasoffkee have resulted in the growth of desirable native aquatic plants in more than 80% of the lake bottom according to state environmental scientists. The state agencies include the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.The Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council has been in the process of dredging approximately eight million cubic… Read more

Restoration Project Gives Site A New Look Looking at the 15 acres of restored habitat to the west of the Northside Christian School athletic fields in Pinellas County, one would never know the area was once used as a mining borrow pit and a construction dumpsite. The Joes Creek Habitat Restoration Project, a cooperative effort between Pinellas County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program, wiped… Read more

Todd Pressman was elected Wednesday by his peers to serve as Governing Board chair of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Other Governing Board officers selected today include Ronald E. Oakley, vice chair; Hugh Gramling, secretary; and Sallie Parks, treasurer.Chair Todd PressmanPressman of Oldsmar was first appointed to the Governing Board in April 2005, and is also co-chair ex officio of the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board. He has also served… Read more

A New Port Richey apartment complex is the first in Pasco County to be certified under the Florida Water StarSM Community standard. Greencastle of Bayonet Point recently received its Florida Water StarSM certification. Florida Water StarSM is a voluntary certification program for builders, developers and homeowners. It encourages water efficiency in appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes. The 80-unit apartment community, for… Read more

From the top: Executive Director Dave Moore, left, and Governing Board former Chair Todd Pressman, right, honor Dick Prey for helping maintain the Withlapopka Community Park. Kim DeVary from Land Resources, left, thanks volunteer Carol Beaton for her work at Chito Branch Reserve. Brandt Henningsen from the SWIM Program, right, and Pressman, left, honor Jessica Welling from Tampa Bay Watch. The Lowry Park Zoo was on hand with native animals for the volunteers to see.… Read more

With the rainy season upon us, now is a great time to think about adding a rain barrel to your yard.Harvesting rainwater with a rain barrel helps supplement irrigation for a small cost. Storing rainwater also helps reduce stormwater runoff, which can lead to reduced levels of pesticides and fertilizers in our water. Many people make rain barrels out of inexpensive 50-gallon food-grade drums that were used to carry juices, olives, pickles, etc. Often you can find barrels… Read more

Students record observations and learn about rain barrel irrigation. Christine Collins, owner of Wildrose Lawncare, and Lou Kavouras (far right), District deputy executive director, work together on the Curb Appeal Project. In November, the District recognized the very best in District-sponsored community and youth water resources education projects at the Partners in Watershed Education ceremony. The celebration was held at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.… Read more

Award-Winning Restoration A place where people used to illegally dump everything from scrap metal to household waste is the site of an award-winning restoration project. The joint project between SWIM, Hillsborough County’s resource management section and the District’s Davis Tract restoration project received the Hillsborough County Planning Commission’s top environmental award, the Award of Merit, 2002. The 60-acre former landfill is part of the 354-acre… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday celebrated a District cooperatively funded project with the City of St. Petersburg that received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Florida Stormwater Association for restoring Lake Maggiore.This is the first year the Florida Stormwater Association recognized six projects and programs during the association’s annual conference in June.The projects were recognized for demonstrating… Read more

Left: District Governing Board Chair Todd Pressman speaks at the ceremony celebrating the 20-year restoration effort at Lake Maggiore. Center: Housh Ghovaee, District Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board member, releases fish into Lake Maggiore. Right: Aerial view of Lake Maggiore. St. Petersburg’s largest lake, Lake Maggiore, was recently restocked with 100,000 fish to mark the successful completion of a 20-year restoration effort. The restoration of the lake,… Read more

table(webalert). |Who:|Kyra InfoTech staff, and officials from the city of Lakeland, Polk County and the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ .||*What:*|Open house for the first commercial property to receive a Florida Water StarSM certification from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The new commercial building was constructed to make it more energy efficient and water conserving."Florida Water StarSM(… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized three Citrus 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… Read more

Two Ocala homes were certified in December as "Florida Water StarSM Silver(Florida Water Star)":/conservation/florida_water_star by the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.The homes are the first in Marion County to receive the water-saving certification. Located in the Renaissance neighborhood of Ocala's On Top of the World development, they are equipped with water-efficient appliances and fixtures. "Florida-Friendly… Read more

Governor Rick Scott appointed Jim Murphy to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board. Murphy represents Polk County. Murphy, 57, of Lakeland, is the division president of Florida Sealing Products, Inc. He attended The Ohio State University. Murphy is appointed for a term beginning July 28, 2017, and ending March 1, 2021.Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The… Read more

Governor Rick Scott appointed John Henslick and Kelly Rice to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Henslick represents Manatee County and Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties. Henslick, 64, of Myakka City, is the owner of Henslick & Associates. Henslick received his bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University and his master’s degree from the University of Florida. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term… Read more

Governor Rick Scott appointed John Henslick and Kelly Rice to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/. Henslick represents Manatee County and Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter Counties. Henslick, 64, of Myakka City, is the owner of Henslick & Associates. Henslick received his bachelor's degree from Jacksonville University and his master's degree from the University of Florida. He… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is joining forces with the Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance to celebrate the Hillsborough River and its watershed by declaring Nov. 15 through 22 as “Watershed Awareness Week.”The District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board is co-sponsoring Watershed Awareness Week in an effort to foster good watershed stewardship.The Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance is a public-private, non-profit organization that… Read more