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The public is invited to attend the Hernando County Weeki Wachee River and Springs Task Force meeting, April 18. The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. at the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Brooksville Headquarters in the Board Room.The task force will be taking public input on the health of the springs and the river.The Florida Legislature created the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council, which formed two separate county task forces the Citrus…

A national program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls the District’s Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.) a “Gulf Guardian.” The District’s water conservation program took second place among government programs at the Gulf Guardian Awards in Corpus Christi, Texas. Water C.H.A.M.P. began in September 2002 as a two-year pilot program in the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin of the Southwest Florida Water Management…

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be open Friday, Sept. 30, as the District returns to normal operations after Hurricane Ian. The District will lower the activation level of its Emergency Operations Center to a Level 3 at 8 a.m. Friday morning. Level 3 activation is a general state of monitoring during the hurricane season.  

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $113,138 in grants to 52 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness…

Fourteen Sumter County teachers are among the educators who were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.This year 206 "Splash! grants(Splash! School Grants)":/education/schoolgrants were awarded to educators across "the District's 16-county region":/data/map.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Sumter County to…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of Daylight Savings Time.Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure your irrigation system timer is set correctly to ensure that your system operates consistently with current water restrictions.Under…

Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and diseaseThe Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents who irrigate their lawns to “Skip a Week” or more of watering during the cooler months of January and February.According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often during the cooler months. One-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient. In fact, if your lawn…

h2. District to Brief the Public on Lake Isis, Tulane Stormwater Treatment ProjectsThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to an informational meeting on the Lake Isis and Lake Tulane stormwater treatment projects, which will improve water quality in the lakes. The meeting will be held from *6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18*, 2011 at the *City of Avon Park Council Chambers*, 123 East Pine Street in…

h2. District to Brief the Public on Stormwater Treatment ProjectThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to an informational meeting on the Lake Wailes stormwater treatment project, which will improve water quality in the lake. The meeting will be held from *6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2011* at the *Lake Wales Municipal Administration Building*, 201 Central Avenue West in Lake Wales.The…

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Department staff, volunteers from the Sumter County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission staffWhat:The District’s Land Resources Department is coordinating a volunteer work day at the District’s Panasoffkee Outlet property in Sumter County. Volunteers will hand-remove green wandering jew and tuberous sword fern, which are invasive plants that are…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping at Royce Ranch.The project involves installing a weather station, soil moisture sensors and automated pump controls at the citrus farm owned by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, which funds the purchase of state parks and other state lands. Royce Ranch is located in central Highlands County.Installing a weather station…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:

• Phase 2 will include five hunts that occur January through February 2024.
• Permits are transferable.
• The single top producer on each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on…

It was all treats and no tricks as the District, Polk County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection celebrated the grand opening of Polk’s Nature Discovery Center at the Circle B Bar Reserve on Halloween. “This twenty-first century facility will give children who are not exposed to the environment an opportunity to touch and feel nature,” said David Moore, District executive director. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests toured the Nature…

The Florida Legislature included $15 million in its 2008–09 state budget for the District’s West-Central Florida Water Restoration Action Plan (WRAP), which will help restore water quality and natural systems and create sustainable water supplies in the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA). “In this incredibly tight budget year, we are extremely grateful that the WRAP was funded, which will aid in the District’s efforts to recover the Southern Water Use Caution…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is hosting career fairs to recruit people seeking a rewarding career protecting the region’s water resources. The career fairs are open to the public and attendees are encouraged to bring current resumes. The District is a government agency that employs a diverse workforce from across a wide variety of disciplines, including administrative, business and finance, trades work, mechanical, heavy equipment operation,…

During the District’s 60-year history, new laws established through the decades have helped the District protect water quality and natural systems. Here’s a look at some of the key legislation and programs established: Save Our Rivers: The program, established in 1981, allowed the District to acquire lands for the purposes of water management, supply and protection. The first major land acquisition using Save Our Rivers funding was the Green Swamp West…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close all District-managed campgrounds and properties to include trails and day use areas throughout its 16-county region at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in anticipation of impacts from Hurricane MiltonFor the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at …

h2. District, County Cooperate to Help Manage and Treat StormwaterResidents of the Garden Grove neighborhood in the Cypress Gardens area will see less flooding and better water quality in nearby lakes thanks to a project funded by Polk County and the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard.Construction began this fall on the project, which will help reduce flooding…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have deactivated the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from a Level 2 to a Level 3. In April, the District activated the EOC to Level 2 in coordination with State Emergency Response Teams who requested and directed District resources during Florida's wildfire emergency event. The EOC provides direction and controls District activities during an emergency event.Level 3 activation is utilized when a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and Hernando County will hold a public workshop Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 p.m. to share the results of the Weeki Wachee Natural System Carrying Capacity Study. The meeting will take place at the Coast Guard Auxiliary Meeting Hall, located at 4340 Calienta St. in Hernando Beach. This ecologically-based study evaluated how recreational use affects the river. During the workshop, staff from the District, Hernando…