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As part of a phased approach, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will reopen all campgrounds throughout its 16-county region Wednesday, June 3. Reopening of District campgrounds is consistent with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s reopening of camping at many Florida State Parks. To help protect staff and visitors from the spread of COVID-19, the following guidelines will be in place at all District campgrounds:

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Governor Rick Scott appointed two new board members to the District’s Governing Board and also re-appointed a board member. Mark Taylor and Michelle Williamson were appointed to the board. Taylor represents Hernando and Marion counties and Williamson represents Hillsborough County. Taylor, 57, of Brooksville, is the president of TTG Properties Inc. Taylor received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is appointed for a term from Aug. 26, 2016…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River during the week of March 7–10.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the river from upstream of KP Hole Park to the CR 484 bridge.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post warning signs in the treatment areas noting treatment dates and water use restrictions. Treated river water should not be…

Judith C. Judy Whitehead was unanimously elected Tuesday by her peers to serve as Governing Board chair of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Other Governing Board officers selected today include C.A. “Neil” Combee, Jr., vice chair; Todd Pressman, secretary; and Jennifer E. Closshey, treasurer.Chair Judy WhiteheadWhitehead of Brooksville was first appointed to the Governing Board in March 2003, and was elected the Boards Secretary in May 2004. Whitehead served…

David W. Dunbar recently was appointed to the District’s Governing Board by Gov. Rick Scott. Dunbar, of Palm Harbor, is a commercial banker and chairman of Synovus Bank of Florida. He was appointed to succeed Jennifer Closshey and his term ends March 1, 2017. The Governing Board position represents both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.  The 61-year-old describes himself as an avid coastal fisherman with an understanding of water issues and the impact on the…

The area's first Landscape Challenge competition, scheduled to take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon on March 12, has been postponed due to forecasts for heavy rain. The event has been rescheduled for April 16. The competition at the "Pay it Forward Farm(Pay it Forward Farm, Spring Hill)":http://www.payitforwardfarm.org in Spring Hill will allow landscape professionals to compete for the title of Ruling Water Champions. A media alert will be issued as the April 16 event…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 29 at 9 a.m. at the District's "Sarasota Service Office(Google map)":http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=27.338377,-82.438509&spn=0.013915,0.017059&t=h&z=16&msid=103529447060954840677.000475bfec6f069f6d1b2, 6750 Fruitville Road,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River during the week of Jan. 10–14.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the river from the head spring to the Withlacoochee River.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Knockout and post warning signs in the treatment areas noting treatment dates and water use restrictions. Treated river water should not be used…

table(webalert). |Who:|Teams entered so far include Cornerstone Solutions Group, the Industry Team, the Luke Brothers, Pay it Forward Farm, Raymow, Tampa Bay Landscaping, Wildrose Lawncare and the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org.Station leaders include Gary England from the University of Florida at the Right Plant Right Place station, Chris Hayes from BioWorks at the Pest Management station,…

The District recently hosted wounded veterans on its Lake Hancock property for an alligator hunt.  The event was facilitated by Operation Outdoor Freedom and the Wounded Warriors Program. Operation Outdoor Freedom is an endeavor that provides recreational opportunities to wounded veterans. Designated state and agricultural lands throughout Florida grant participating veterans unique opportunities for recreation and rehabilitation.  Ten wounded veterans…

The Citrus County Task Force is inviting the public to a stakeholders conference to discuss Citrus County water resources.The conference is being held Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Citrus Springs Community Center, located at 1570 W. Citrus Springs Blvd. in Citrus Springs.During the conference representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportation, Citrus…

A study of the fish and invertebrates in the Weeki Wachee River estuary will help the Southwest Florida Water Management District in establishing minimum flows for the Weeki Wachee River.Aimed at determining the freshwater needs of biological communities associated with the river, the study is being conducted by the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science.Researchers have been collecting fish and invertebrates, such as pink shrimp and blue crab, on a…

Dozens of paddlers recently joined the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition team on their excursion along the Rainbow River.  The District recently hosted the Rainbow River Paddle trail mixer in partnership with the expedition at Rainbow Springs State Park. Despite some chilly temperatures, more than 50 people came out to paddle in the event.  Before people launched their canoes and kayaks, they had a chance to meet the expedition team and some of the…

The Coleman's Landing boat ramp on the east side of Lake Panasoffkee will reopen to the public on Saturday, July 15. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has completed an aquatic plant removal project which required the temporary closure of the boat ramp.Aquatic plants were harvested to create boat access trails across the lake through areas of dense vegetation. For more…

Governor Rick Scott appointed Joel Schleicher and Rebecca Smith to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties and Smith represents Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Schleicher, 65, of Sarasota, is the founder and executive chairman of Focal Point Data Risk, LLC. Schleicher received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. He is appointed for a term beginning May 12, 2017, and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, St. Johns River Water Management District and South Florida Water Management District have scheduled a joint public workshop to solicit stakeholder input on each District’s annual update of their priority list and schedule for the establishment of minimum flows and water levels as well as water reservations. This workshop is being held to promote consistent water resource planning in the Central Florida Water Initiative (…

Today, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board approved the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement of more than 1,088 acres of Triangle Ranch in Manatee County, in the upper Myakka River watershed. This action will prevent future development on this property by securing $2 million toward the purchase of the conservation agreement, and is a key part in the permanent protection of this important piece of land. "The Board's action today…

*Who:*Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, Stages Productions, kindergarten and first-grade students from Kenly Elementary School*What:*This watershed awareness week event targets grade-school students. The goal is to teach students about the Hillsborough River watershed through an interactive theatre performance about water conservation and protection. The play “Water Pigs” is a fun take-off on the classic story of the three little pigs.The presentation is…

A media alert issued this morning by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue regarding smoke in northern Hillsborough County contained incorrect information. The Southwest Florida Water Management District has not conducted any controlled burns in two months due to the current drought conditions.A 118-acre wildfire started on Saturday in the District’s Conner Preserve near Ehren Cutoff in Pasco County. The fire is contained and under the authority of the Florida Division of…

The Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) Steering Committee recently accepted the amended Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP) and the draft 2035 Water Resources Protection and Water Supply Strategies Plan (Solutions Plan). That action sends the documents to the Governing Boards of three central Florida water management districts for consideration. The RWSP charts a long-term course for water supply in Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and south Lake counties through 2035.…