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Every year about 2.5 million people visit public conservation lands obtained by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and its partners to protect Florida’s water resources.Balancing water needs.Protecting the environment. The District was created in 1961 by the Florida Legislature to protect the water resources of the region. The District includes roughly 10,000 square miles in all or part of 16 counties in west-central Florida that were home to a population… Read more

As the District’s General Counsel, Chris Tumminia provides advice and counsel to the District’s Governing Board, executive director and District staff regarding matters of law and policy. His primary areas of practice have included civil and administrative litigation, water use permitting, minimum flows and levels, and water supply planning. Tumminia also has represented the District in numerous proceedings before the State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings,… Read more

Drawdowns in aquifer levels in the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA), due primarily to groundwater withdrawals, are affecting rates of saltwater intrusion into the Upper Floridan aquifer along the coast, especially in the Most Impacted… Read more

As bureau chief of General Services, Dave Dickens oversees the District’s Document Services, Public Records, Fleet Services and Facilities sections.Dave has 12 years of experience managing transportation, facilities and safety programs for water management districts in Florida.He most recently served as the Transportation and Facilities Bureau chief for St. Johns River Water Management District, where he managed budget, procurement, capital projects and contract management.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District includes Florida’s notorious “Lightning Belt.” It is famous because of the number of thunderstorms and lightning strikes that occur here. They don’t call the hockey team the “Tampa Bay Lightning” for nothing. Florida’s lightning strikes are thought to be especially powerful, thanks to the huge, highly charged clouds that form here. How powerful are they? Hot bolts have temperatures above 14,000°C.… Read more

The majority of the freshwater supply in west-central Florida comes from groundwater, most commonly the Floridan aquifer system. The Floridan aquifer system contains the largest aquifers within the state and stretches 100,000 square miles beneath Florida and parts of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. The Floridan aquifer system has been divided into the Upper Floridan aquifer and Lower Floridan aquifers. Between the aquifers are… Read more

Board members are unpaid citizen volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. A 13-member Governing Board establishes policies for the entire 16-county District. The Governing Board represents a wide cross section of interests, including agricultural, recreational, business, industrial, urban, rural and the public. Board members are unpaid citizen volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. They serve four-year… Read more

Most people can only imagine what an aquifer is, since the water lies hidden underground. Here in Florida, you can visit an aquifer! How do you visit an underground water supply? Grab some scuba gear and go cave diving in Florida’s springs. Of course, it’s not that simple. Cave diving requires expensive equipment, plenty of knowledge and special skills. Even then it can be dangerous.… Read more

Government & Community Affairs Office Chief As office chief of Government and Community Affairs, Cara Martin oversees the District’s government affairs and growth management/planning responsibilities of the District. Martin and her staff are the main liaisons between the District and local, state and federal government officials, business leaders, and community organizations. The Government and Community Affairs staff review all statutorily required government and… Read more

Brooksville Headquarters2379 Broad StreetBrooksville, FL 34604-6899 (Google map)Phone: (352) 796-72111-800-423-1476 (Florida only)Emergency after-hours: (352) 796-1211Please call for fax numbers.Government Affairs Program Manager:Carrieann Adkins … Read more

Moving southwest you will find Crystal River, which is in Citrus County and runs from the town of Crystal River west for seven miles towards the Gulf of America. Crystal River’s headwaters is an area known as Kings Bay, which has more than 70 springs. Crystal River/Kings Bay is the second largest springs group in Florida, the first being Wakulla Springs in northern Florida near Tallahassee.Many of the river's springs are 20 to 30 feet deep, and the water discharging from… Read more

Enjoy the beauty of west-central Florida at its best by hiking on miles of natural trails. Take a Hike District lands are open for hiking and related activities that can be enjoyed on foot, such as nature study, bird watching, outdoor photography, jogging and backpacking. Most trails are located on old roadbeds and have a natural surface that changes constantly depending on weather and soil conditions… Read more

The District is evaluating the established strategy needed to recover minimum flows adopted for the Lower Hillsborough River. Minimum flows are established to help protect the system from significant harm caused by ground and surface water withdrawals. OverviewMinimum flows are limits established by the District’s Governing Board for surface watercourses that are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may… Read more

The Weekiwachee Preserve is an area of protected land owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District). Covering over 11,200 acres, the preserve is in Hernando County. It provides a wide array of wildlife habitats, including several miles along the Weeki Wachee River, portions of the Mud River, dense hardwood swamps, freshwater and saltwater marshes and pine-… Read more

Whether you are a casual viewer or an avid birder working on your life birding list, bird-watching opportunities abound on all District lands. Sites with the best bird-watching opportunities are part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and are listed in the column on the right side of this page. Maps of the west coast portion of the trail can be obtained from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission web site at… Read more

1. Summary

Students will complete a unit on fresh waterways and the native life that lives there. They will complete computer research, make observations and collect data, graph data collected, and complete a STEAM project on the natural filtration systems in Florida, mainly focusing on swamplands. They will then compete the Myakka Mysteries field trip. At the Myakka River State Park, students will explore the Myakka River and the surrounding wetlands,…

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As director of the Employee, Outreach and General Services Division, Michelle Weaver oversees the Human Resources Office, Ombudsman Office, Government & Community Affairs Office, Communications & Board Services Bureau and General Services Bureau.Weaver has been… Read more