Search Content

The "US Fish and Wildlife Service(US Fish and Wildlife Service)":http://www.fws.gov/, the "Friends of Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge(Friends of Chassahowitzka)":http://friendsofchazz.org/ and the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ are holding their last public open house of this manatee season at the newly acquired Three Sisters Springs property on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 8 a.m. to noon."This will be the last…

The water conservation mobile restroom station is expanding the District’s message this spring by featuring its Florida−friendly landscaping campaign. The water conservation restroom station is a private, water−conserving restroom trailer featuring air conditioning, six private half−baths with water conservation features, running water, lights, mirrors and a bathroom attendant who keeps the stalls clean and stocked. In previous years, the trailer has provided an…

 Stormwater SystemsA stormwater system is designed to collect and manage runoff from rainwater. They are specifically designed to help prevent flooding and remove pollutants from the water, and they are required for most new development since the 1980s. When rainwater lands on rooftops, parking lots, streets, driveways and other hard surfaces, the rainfall that doesn’t soak into the ground is called stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff carries pollutants such as litter…

A Tampa Bay area developer is the first to sign on with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s new, comprehensive water conservation program for new home construction, Florida Water Star (FWSG).FWSG is a voluntary certification program for builders. It encourages water efficiency in household appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes, as well as water quality benefits from best management practices in landscapes.Carl Krave, president…

Two Sarasota County projects expected to reach up to 23,000 people were recently awarded Community Education Grants from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues including conservation, protection and preservation. Funded by the "District's Basin Boards(Basin Boards)":/about/basinboards/, the program is…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), in cooperation with Hillsborough County, completed the largest habitat restoration project ever done in the history of Tampa Bay. Project BackgroundIn 2009, the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program began working to design and construct the largest coastal restoration project ever performed for Tampa Bay. This project was a cooperative effort between SWIM and the Hillsborough County…

Eleven-year-old Tommy Money, along with friends Addie Ratliff, 9, and Emily Ratliff, 6, huddled together to discuss what they would name their longleaf pine sapling as they gently placed it into the ground with the help of District Senior Land Management Specialist Will VanGelder. The girls, who pledged to come back and check on the progress of their tree, quickly looked around for mature trees and other landmarks that will help them identify the location of their little…

Animal Assistance Some people panic when they hear disaster is heading their way; others mobilize and see what they can do to help. When Leigh Rogers, a regulation processing specialist at the District’s Sarasota Service Office, heard that Hurricane Charley was going to hit Florida’s west coast, she began looking for ways she could lend a hand. “I have always been interested in volunteer work,” said Rogers, who first looked into volunteering for the District’s…

John Parker (left), his wife Leslie, daughters Melissa and Jessica, and son-in-law Dylan Nugent gather near “Other Man Lake” in Quetico Provincial Park. Sadness spread across the District’s Brooksville Headquarters as coworkers learned about John Parker’s death in a car accident in May. “When you spend more than 20 years working with someone on projects that define your life, and when you share in a common goal, you have a bond, even if you didn’t hang out…