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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Chito Branch Reserve in Hillsborough County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Feb. 25-27.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 10 permits for these hunts have been sold.Chito Branch Reserve is located at 11254 Browning Road in Lithia.This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Alston Tract at Upper Hillsborough Preserve in Pasco County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Feb. 25-27.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 11 permits for these hunts have been sold.Alston Tract is located at 42144 Deems Road in Zephyrhills.This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the… Read more

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Joshua Gamblin and reappointed John Mitten and Michelle Williamson to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Gamblin represents DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties, Mitten represents Hernando and Marion counties, and Williamson represents Hillsborough County. Gamblin, of Arcadia, is the ranch manager of Stolen Saddle Ranch. He earned his bachelor’s degree in natural resource management in wildlife from… Read more

 The Brooker Creek Preserve, managed by Pinellas County, is a valuable island of natural lands in an ever-increasing urban area. Pinellas County gave this property a special protection status and seeks to promote public awareness of the need to protect vital watersheds and natural areas in Florida. The property is a mixture of cypress and bottomland swamps, freshwater marshes and pine and oak hardwood forests.

 The property was acquired for protection of the area's groundwater recharge, as well as important surface water features and wetland habitats. The preserve's wetlands play a role in both the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes and the Withlacoochee River systems, part of the Floridan aquifer's recharge/discharge system. Additionally, the site provides habitat to wildlife, including a small population of threatened Florida scrub-jays.

Michael Sole, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, applauds Dr. David York as he receives a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from David Moore, District executive director. This spring the District proudly presented its first-ever “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Dr. David York for his leadership, vision and contributions to reclaimed water and sustainable water resources in Florida. York has been the state’s only Florida Department of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, May 20 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live… Read more

 Jointly acquired between the District and the state to protect the water resources of Tampa Bay, the Terra Ceia Preserve State Park is managed by the Florida State Parks system. The lands are mostly uplands of maritime hammocks and mangrove fringe forests. Various wetland communities such as freshwater creeks, freshwater marshes, karst tidal ponds and estuarine marshes are interspersed within the preserve.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is in the process of developing the 2025 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). The plan lists projected water demands as well as possible water sources for each region of the District through the year 2045. The draft RWSP is posted on the District webpage. Comments may be submitted virtually thought the webpage.… Read more

Patsy Nathe, the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board vice chair, was recently named “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” for 2008. The award, which is sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida State Fair Authority, recognizes outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture. Charles H. Bronson, the state’s agriculture commissioner, will present the award to Nathe on Feb. 5 during the opening day… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is in the process of developing the 2025 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). The plan lists projected water demands as well as possible water sources for each region of the District through the year 2045. The draft RWSP is posted on the District webpage. Comments may be submitted virtually thought the webpage. At the workshop… Read more

 As part of the District's Little Manatee River project, this property protects the watershed of the river. The primary natural communities on the tract are pine flatwoods in the uplands and bottomland hardwood forests. Prior to District ownership, like many areas in central Florida, the site was converted into rangeland for raising cattle.The high-quality scrub and scrubby flatwoods habitats have been restored for native species. The reintroduction of fire helps… Read more

 Aripeka Sandhills Preserve was acquired as part of the Weekiwachee Preserve on November 8, 2007. This was a joint acquisition with the District and Pasco County. Funding was provided by Penny for Pasco.The preserve is part of a regional system of conservation lands that extends up to Crystal River Buffer Preserve, preserving the southernmost coastal hardwood hammock in western Florida. As part of this large preserve, Aripeka Sandhills preserves important habitat… Read more

The "Central Florida Water Initiative's":http://cfwiwater.com/ (CFWI) Steering Committee has released two updated draft documents that will set a path forward for meeting water supply needs in central Florida for the next 20 years.During several public meetings over the summer, the public was invited to learn about and comment on the draft 2035 Water Resources Protection and Water Supply Strategies Plan (Solutions Plan) and minor changes to the draft 2015 Regional Water… Read more

Governor Rick Scott appointed David Dunbar to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/. Dunbar replaces Jennifer Closshey whose term ended on March 1st of this year. The Governing Board seat is a joint Pinellas/Hillsborough seat.Dunbar, of Palm Harbor, is a commercial banker with Synovus Bank of Florida. He received his bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State University. Dunbar's… Read more

table(webalert). |Who:|Area landscaping professionals, the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association and the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.||*What:*|Landscape professionals will compete in a circuit of challenges testing their knowledge about landscaping best management practices that will help protect water quality in springs.Competition areas include Sizing It Up for fertilization, Right Plant, Right… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Marion County. The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through July 12 at … Read more

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Nancy Watkins and reappointed Ashley Bell Barnett, Kelly Rice, and Joel Schleicher to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Watkins represents Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Bell Barnett represents Polk County, Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties. Watkins, of Tampa, is a certified public accountant at Robert Watkins & Company… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org and the University of Florida are offering a free seminar on using advanced irrigation tools to save water. The University's "Florida Automated Weather Network(Florida Automated Weather Network)":http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/ (FAWN) is holding the seminar from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 13, at the Hillsborough County Extension office, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner.… Read more

Sustainability and environmental policy professionals recently gathered to talk about the state of water in Florida. Sustainable Florida hosted the forum in Sarasota to discuss issues surrounding water quality, quantity and resiliency. The District’s Executive Director Brian Armstrong spoke at the event about District programs that focus on water quality and quantity. “Water quality and quantity is extremely important to our state and I am proud to share our… Read more