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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…

Two Charlotte County teachers and one private school teacher 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…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is seeking public input about the order in which "minimum flows and levels(Minimum Flows and Levels)":/mfl (MFLs) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us "Peace River Basin Board(Peace River Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/peace.php has partnered with the "Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District(Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District)":http://www.highlandsswcd.org/ to help homeowners improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems.The pilot project involves bringing a "mobile…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2024-2025 term. Michelle Williamson was elected chair of the Governing Board. Williamson represents Hillsborough County and is the operations manager of G&F Farms. Williamson was appointed to the Governing Board in August 2016 and reappointed in December 2020. John Mitten was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Mitten represents Hernando and Marion…

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…

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…

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 (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,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during February and March on the District's Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County, including "Flatwoods Park(Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve Flatwoods Park)":/recreation/areas/lh-flatwoods.html and the "Oak Ridge Equestrian Area(Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve Oak…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for the City of Inverness.The modified permit reduces the permitted quantities for the city. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 1.7 million gallons of water per day (mgd). The new permitted quantity is 1.5 mgd.Population projections are predicted to…

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…

Ed Armstrong recently was appointed to the District’s Governing Board by Gov. Rick Scott. Armstrong, of Dunedin, is an attorney with Hill Ward Henderson in Clearwater. He was appointed to succeed Todd Pressman and his term ends March 1, 2018. The Governing Board position represents Pinellas County.  A lifelong Florida resident, Armstrong graduated from Dunedin High School. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Cum Laude, from the University of…

Annually, the fourth Saturday in September is recognized as National Public Lands Day (NPLD)! Founded in 1994, NPLD is the largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, drawing thousands of participants each year. Public lands include national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes and reservoirs; as well as state, county and city parks that are managed by federal, state and local governments. These public lands allow…

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 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's (District) Governing Board recognized Lace Blue-McLean as this year’s springs community partner, while declaring April Springs Protection Awareness Month. Blue-McLean is the chair of the Save Our Waters Week Committee, which was formed more than 20 years ago to bring awareness to water issues in Citrus County. Each year, she dedicates countless hours to organizing the weeklong event. Through free tours, cleanups and other…

*District to begin habitat improvement activities*The Morris Bridge Bicycle Area's off-road trails and parking lot will be closed intermittently from mid-December through mid-January, except for weekends and holidays. The Morris Bridge Bicycle Area is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, located just south of Morris Bridge Road and just east of I-75 near Temple Terrace. The property is managed by the District in…

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…

Approximately 14 disabled hunters are expected to participate in a Hog Still Hunt, Jan. 27-29, on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alston Tract, which is part of the Upper Hillsborough. The event is organized by the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen.The Alston Tract is located east of Zephyrhills in Pasco and Polk counties. The entrance is off S.R. 39. The property will be closed to the public during the event.During a hog…