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The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will temporarily close trails during November and December in the Flatwoods Park and Wilderness Park areas of the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County.The "Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve(Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve)":/recreation/areas/lowerhillsborough.html is located east of I-75 and north of US 301, approximately three miles northeast…

Community members who want to make a positive impact on the water resources in their area may apply online for a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us.The overall goal of the "Community Education Grant Program(Community Education Grant Program)":/business/communitygrants/ is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org will be conducting ""controlled, prescribed burns"(Prescribed Fire - a Tool of Nature)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/publications/files/prescribed_fire.pdf during February and March on both the "Deer Prairie Creek Preserve(Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/myakka-deeerprairie.html and neighboring…

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officially approved adding three first-magnitude spring systems – Weeki Wachee River, Chassahowitzka River and Homosassa River – to the Surface Water Improvement Management (SWIM) Program priority list.In January, "The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/voted to begin the process of officially adding those systems to the existing…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is providing children the opportunity to participate in a free youth camping trip at the District’sGreen Swamp Wilderness Preserve — West Tract in Pasco County.Thecamping trip is scheduled for Sept. 19-20. All campers must be accompanied by at least one adult.…

Who: Highlands County teachers and administrators, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC) staff.What: Approximately 12 science teachers and school administrators are participating in a field study that focuses on the Peace River Basin. The two-day excursion includes a guided wading tour of the Charlotte Harbor Estuary, a discussion about the watershed led by a CHEC scientist, and a boat tour on the Peace River to conduct…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of March and April on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve and the Annuteliga Hammock.The Weekiwachee Preserve is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. Approximately 300 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Annuteliga Hammock tract is approximately three miles south of Chassahowitzka. Approximately 800 acres of land…

Governing Board urges water conservationDespite normal rainfall in April, west-central Florida remains abnormally dry. The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board is urging residents to continue conserving the water resources.Since January 2006, the District has accumulated more than a 15-inch rainfall deficit. As a result, lake levels are below their annual low levels and rivers are flowing below normal ranges.Last month, the Governing Board declared…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 94,900 gallons per day (gpd) at a Manatee County farm.The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The FARMS project, proposed by FFD Land Company, Inc., is located upstream from Lake Manatee, which is a major source of drinking water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hampton Tract, which is part of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, will be reserved Nov. 18-20 for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors. The property will be closed to the public during this time.The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve’s Polk County entrance is at the intersection of Rockridge Road and Deen Still Road.The hunt is a joint effort between the District and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2023-2024 term. Ed Armstrong was elected chair of the Governing Board. Armstrong represents Pinellas County and is an attorney with Hill Ward Henderson in Clearwater. Armstrong was appointed to the Governing Board in June 2014 and was reappointed in October 2020 and June 2022. His term expires March 1, 2026. Michelle Williamson was elected vice chair of the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input as it updates its long-range Water Management Plan.The District’s Water Management Plan addresses the District’s water supply, flood protection, water quality and natural systems goals and responsibilities. The current plan, developed in 2000, is being updated and will be provided to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by May. The update will focus on key resource management…

In October, the Southwest Florida Water Management District will celebrate the Hillsborough River and the Hillsborough River watershed with a series of events along the river.The District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board has declared the week of Oct. 20 through 27 as “Hillsborough River Watershed Awareness Week.” The participating city and county governments plan to recognize the week, which was modeled after a similar event in April that focused on the Peace River…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will observe National Tourism Week May 12-20 by promoting the award-winning Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.) to the hospitality industry. The goal is to show that by implementing the Water C.H.A.M.P. program, the savings can really add up for local businesses.Water C.H.A.M.P. is the District’s linens and towel reuse program.According to VISIT FLORIDA, the states official tourism marketing…

Seventeen Manatee County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Manatee County to the strong partnership with Manatee County Schools. Judy Griffin, curriculum specialist for Manatee County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and helped…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Thursday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m. to collect public comment on the proposed minimum levels for Lake Angelo and Lake Denton in Highlands County.Members of the public may register to join prior to the workshop at https://bit.ly/LakesAD…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North.To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Brooksville office will be partially open on Thursday, Sept. 14. Portions of the campus remain closed as a result of an ongoing power outage due to Hurricane Irma. All other District offices remain open. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District's website at …

Five Pinellas County projects were recently awarded Community Education Grants from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ to provide direct, hands-on education to more than 7,000 residents.This year the District approved 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $120,471. This is the 14th year "Community Education Grants(Community Education Grant program)":/business/communitygrants have been available. These grants offer…

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed Tuesday, July 6, due to potential impacts from Tropical Storm Elsa. The District will continue to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Elsa to determine if future closings are necessary. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District’s website at…