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As the drought continues to make front-page news across the country, the District is taking steps to stretch our limited water supply and raise public awareness about what people can do to help. The District has had below-average rainfall since January 2006. As of December, the Districtwide 24-month rainfall deficit is approximately 23 inches. “Conditions have not improved, particularly in the southern portion of the District,” said Richard Owen, District deputy… Read more

Members of the Withlacoochee River Basin Board and the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council recently surveyed the progress of the four-step, multimillion dollar Lake Panasoffkee restoration project. The Lake Panasoffkee restoration project involves dredging approximately 8.2 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake, which will improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation. The project will also restore approximately 920 acres of… Read more

Scott Black, Dade City commissioner, presents Jennifer Closshey, Governing Board treasurer, with the award while Sallie Parks, Governing Board member; Jennette Seachrist, SWIM program manager; Manny Pumariega, Planning Council executive director; and Joe Jordan-Robinson, Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board vice chair, look on. A project that is providing low-salinity fisheries habitat and improving water quality made waves at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning… Read more

Left: Range Master Bill Rappleyea, right, and Teagan Harris demonstrate shooting technique. Right: Tyler Smith, left, and Austin Vice retrieve their arrows after a contest. Thanks to some help from the District, a new 4-H Club is getting off the ground in Sumter County. The Sumter County 4-H Club is using the District’s Lake Panasoffkee property to… Read more

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing and Basin Board members and staff, hundreds of volunteersWhat: District volunteers, awards presentation, youth educational activities, picnic lunch, games, hay ride, and live music.When: Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The award ceremony begins at noon.Where: Green Swamp West Meeting Facility, 13345 Ranch Road, Dade City, 33525Why: Volunteers play an important role in the District’s efforts to improve… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board Wednesday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 12.7 percent decrease in ad valorem property tax revenue.The… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board Monday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2547 mill, which is the same rate as the current fiscal year. The Hillsborough River Basin Board area covers portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 3.8 percent decrease in… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board Thursday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2163 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Alafia River Basin Board area covers the southern portion of Hillsborough County and the southwestern portion of Polk County.This millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers will result in an estimated 8.… Read more

Nearly 400 board members and property managers of community, condominium and homeowners associations attended recent workshops to learn more about a new water conservation law signed by Gov. Charlie Crist last summer. The District partnered with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) to facilitate seven workshops in six counties to provide information about the new law and Florida-friendly landscaping. Known as Senate Bill 2080… Read more

Doris Heitzmann, a horticulturist and community outreach coordinator with the Pinellas County Extension office, evaluates the landscape at Venetian Bay. Members of the Venetian Bay Homeowners Association (HOA) wanted to do their part to conserve water, so they looked to the City of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas County Extension office for help. The Venetian Bay community consists of 22 waterfront and 51 nonwaterfront townhomes in St. Petersburg. In August… Read more

Joint Effort Educates Residents on Protecting Vital Resource Volunteers retrieve debris from Kings Bay during Citrus County’s Save Our Waters Week. The District’s 2011 observance of Springs Awareness Week helped more residents understand their effects on the health of springs, thanks to a joint venture with two northern counties. The District joined Citrus and Marion counties to mark Springs Awareness Week Sept. 16–24. The week combined Citrus County’s… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board Thursday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2308 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Withlacoochee River Basin Board area covers portions of Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Marion, and Levy counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 7.9… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board Wednesday adopted a reduced millage rate of .3600 mill for fiscal year 2009 (FY2009). This millage rate is .0101 lower than the FY2008 millage rate. In June, the Board adopted a millage rate of .3701 but today Basin Board members said declining property values and the economy influenced their decision to lower it. The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board area covers Pinellas County and… Read more

Twenty Pinellas County teachers are among the record number of educators who applied for and received Splash! mini-grants through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This year the District awarded Splash! mini-grants to 209 educators totaling more than $413,000. That’s 72 more grant recipients than last year.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the increase in awardees to an increase in promotion among the District’s school… Read more