Search Content

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual public meeting at 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 24, to discuss updates to the Weekiwachee Preserve Land Management Plan.The District adopts land management plans to ensure its public conservation lands are being managed in ways that are consistent with Florida Statutes and the District’s mission. District lands are acquired to preserve and protect water resources and natural systems while also…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will reopen the Weekiwachee Preserve to the public effective Friday, May 8, 2020 for all uses. Weekiwachee Preserve is located in coastal Hernando County and has no affiliation with Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. In keeping with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ "Safe. Smart. Step-By-Step. Plan" to reopen Florida, visitors to the Weekiwachee Preserve should maximize physical distance from others and avoid socializing in…

Caver Studies Effects on Springs Beneath your feet exists a part of Florida few ever see but all should value. Deep below the earth’s surface, caverns have formed by water seeping into cracks and slowly dissolving the rock below. Over thousands of years, these voids become larger and create sinkholes and caves. That water can flow into disappearing streams, and underground rivers and then flow back up to the land surface as springs. Photo Courtesy Jason Polk…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ voted on Tuesday to expand hunting opportunities at two District-managed lands. Hunting opportunities will be expanded on these District properties: • The Lake Panasoffkee property will offer 21 days of small game hunting.• The Weekiwachee Preserve will offer 30 days of archery in its southern portion. In addition, the northern portion of the property will be included in the…

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…

Terra Ceia Preserve State Park will become habitat for many threatened animals, thanks to its recently completed restoration efforts. The 217-acre restoration effort, located in the southeastern reaches of Tampa Bay in Manatee County, is the third phase of a larger 2,308-acre restoration project. “We don’t often have the chance to work on projects of this size, especially in the Tampa Bay area,” said Stephanie Powers, District environmental scientist. “The numerous…

Tom Prickett and the District staff who participated in his workshop in 1980. Prickett is in the center, wearing a tie. District software engineer Herb Bryant is pictured in the back row, fifth from the left. A giant in the field of groundwater studies who was influential in the District’s early groundwater modeling efforts passed away this September. Thomas Prickett, 71, of Urbana, Illinois, died Sept. 13 in Indianapolis. Prickett is known for being the…

A project cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County will reduce flooding near Stearns Creek and Lithia-Pinecrest Road and improve water quality entering the Alafia River.The first phase of the project will be to complete a hydrologic analysis that will determine the current drainage patterns of the area. The analysis will enable the project designers to determine the proper size culverts to use and how to best route the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect a new slate of officers for the 2018-2019 term. Jeffrey M. Adams was elected chair of the Governing Board. Adams represents Pinellas County and is an attorney and partner with the law firm of Abbey, Adams, LLP, in St. Petersburg.…

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved adding three first-magnitude spring systems — Weeki Wachee River, Chassahowitzka River and Homosassa River — to the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program priority list.  The existing SWIM Program priority list includes two first-magnitude spring systems – Rainbow River and Crystal River/Kings Bay. The DEP approval brings all five of the District’s first-magnitude spring systems onto…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, July 22 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…

The District is conducting exploratory well research more than a half mile below the surface. It’s happening at the Crooked Lake well site, located in southeastern Polk County. Central Florida has used the Upper Floridan aquifer as it’s predominant water source for decades. Now, with continued population growth, finding future water sources is more important than ever before.  George Schluttermann, a senior hydrogeologist with the District, said the data coming…

Housh Ghovaee, far right, former secretary of the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board, judges water samples. We expect it to be odorless, colorless and refreshing right out of the tap. But not all water tastes the same, as was demonstrated when the City of Dunedin won the region’s Best-Tasting Drinking Water Contest. The contest was sponsored by Region IV of the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association. The region covers Citrus, Hernando,…

Camping, hiking, boating, freshwater and saltwater fishing; a full range of outdoor activities are available at the District’s Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps property in southwestern Citrus County. Purchased in the early 1990s, the property is part of a large greenway of public lands that protects the…

The Southwest Florida Management District and the City of Belleair Bluffs are working together on a project that will improve stormwater drainage within the Belleair Bluffs watershed.The project will also upgrade the stormwater system by adding storm piping and constructing roadway curbs and curb inlets to control stormwater runoff.It also involves installing a Continuous Deflective Separation (CDS) unit to remove sediments and pollutants, which will improve the water…

Surrounding the crystal waters of Three Sisters Springs, visitors could easily spot exposed tree roots and an eroded shoreline. The erosion has caused sediments to enter spring vents and trees to collapse. It has meant a loss of habitat and dangerous conditions for visitors. That’s why the District is restoring the shoreline around Three Sisters Springs. A floating platform was placed inside the spring to allow access to the shoreline, which is surrounded by trees…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is soliciting stakeholder input on the annual update of the Priority List and Schedule for the Establishment of Minimum Flows and Levels. A public meeting will be held at the District's Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North on Thursday, Sept. 1 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Minimum flows and levels (MFLs) are limits set by the District Governing Board for surface waters and groundwater. MFLs are…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is seeking public input to improve identification of flooding risks in the *Buffalo Canal/Frog Creek watershed* of Manatee County.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the "Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)(Federal Emergency Management Agency)":http://www.fema.gov on its national effort to "update and modernize the…