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Efforts to restore Lake Panasoffkee recently took a major step forward. The dredging of Step 2 of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council’s four-step, multi-million dollar restoration plan began July 7. The Lake Panasoffkee restoration project involves dredging approximately 8.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake, which will improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation. The project will also restore approximately 920…

The District is collecting public input on the updated draft of the Regional Water Supply Plan, the tool that points the way to a water supply that can meet the needs of today and tomorrow. The challenge will be meeting growing water supply needs while also protecting the natural resources. The challenge can be met through vigorous planning, regional cooperation among governments and a commitment to conserve water and develop alternative water resources like reclaimed…

The District’s Governing Board recently voted to let water shortage restrictions expire due to significant improvements in the aquifer and river levels as a result of this summer’s above-average rainfall. Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties had been subject to District-declared once-per-week lawn watering restrictions and other stringent requirements. Thirteen other counties were under a drought advisory, which required water utilities to do extra enforcement…

Who: Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council members, Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board members and staffWhat: The Council and the District will mark the completion of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration project.When: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 10 a.m.Where: Coleman LandingWhy: The $28.3 million project was completed in November 2008. The 10-year project was designed to restore Lake Panasoffkee’s historic fish bedding areas, restore the historic lake…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is going for the “gold” when it launches its Florida Water Star Gold (FWSG) certification program March 25. The premier event will be at 10 a.m. at Glencairn Cottages, a new development in downtown Dunedin.FWSG is a voluntary certification program for builders. It encourages water efficiency in household appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes, as well as water quality benefits from best…

Volunteers who take part in the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program are a valuable resource. In fact, three groups who were honored for their voluntary efforts during last week’s Governing Board meeting in Brooksville saved the District between$50,440 and $91,044.According to the Points of Light Foundation, a nationwide volunteer network clearing house, volunteers save the District between $10 and $18 an hour in labor…

10-year project scheduled for completion in OctoberThe Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting the media to tour the restored lake and spoil disposal area of the Lake Panasoffkee restoration project on Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 from 9 a.m. to noon.The $26.9 million project was designed to restore Lake Panasoffkee’s historic fish bedding areas, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation of the third largest lake in west-central Florida. When…

Built on the concept of collaboration, the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) works with the area's 83 utilities to scale water conservation efforts and promote alternative water supplies for a growing population. "The CFWI is focused on regional, multijurisdictional solutions that serve more than one utility, and by extension more residents, businesses, the agricultural community and other water users in the region," said St. Johns River Water Management District…

Nine Pasco 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 Pasco County to the strong partnership with Pasco County Schools. Laura Hill, K–12 science supervisor for Pasco County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and helped get the word…

Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties will be limited to once-per-week lawn watering beginning Dec. 1The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Modified Phase I Water Shortage due to ongoing dry conditions throughout the region and increasing water supply concerns. The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota…

Twenty-two Pinellas County teachers and seven private school 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…

While the winds and rain of Hurricane Irma could be felt across the District for three days, the preparation and response went far beyond that time frame for District staff. As part of the District’s core mission of flood protection, staff immediately jumped into action to meet the needs of the community in a variety of ways. The District’s Emergency Operations Center was activated Sept. 5, days before the history-making storm would make landfall in Florida.…

The skies opened up and heavy rains came down when water managers gathered in Tarpon Springs this September for the Annual Conference on Water Management. Coincidentally, impacts from the recent serious hurricane seasons and the “new reality” of water management in Florida were the focus at this year’s conference. The conference, which is co-sponsored by the state’s five water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), had a…

John Parker (left), his wife Leslie, daughters Melissa and Jessica, and son-in-law Dylan Nugent gather near “Other Man Lake” in Quetico Provincial Park. Sadness spread across the District’s Brooksville Headquarters as coworkers learned about John Parker’s death in a car accident in May. “When you spend more than 20 years working with someone on projects that define your life, and when you share in a common goal, you have a bond, even if you didn’t hang out…

Janey Baldwin, secretary of the Withlacoochee River Basin Board, left, talks with Jay Yingling, District senior economist, at the Regional Water Supply Plan public workshop for the Northern Planning Region. In an effort to plan for future water supplies and demands in our area, the District is updating the 2006 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). This document was first published in 2001, in accordance with Florida Statute 373.0361, and is…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), in partnership with Tampa Bay Water, announces the successful environmental recovery efforts of the Northern Tampa Bay Water Use Caution Area. The success of the Northern Tampa Bay recovery efforts was detailed at the Governing Board’s February meeting. The Board has concurred that a recovery strategy is no longer required for the area because aquifer levels have rebounded and the health of the lakes…

The District’s Governing Board elected new officers to the board.  Randall S. Maggard was elected chair of   the Governing Board. Maggard represents Pasco County and is vice president of Sonny’s Discount Appliances Inc. in Dade City. Maggard was appointed to the Board in October 2011.  A native of Dade…

The District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday on a new slate of officers for the 2020-2021 term. Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks and ensure the public’s water needs are met. The new officers are:…

New Leadership Look up “energy” in the dictionary and more than likely there’ll be a picture of David Moore. Sightings of the District’s new executive director have been reported in every District department and in multiple cities, often simultaneously. Moore is seemingly everywhere, sharing an endless enthusiasm and boundless energy that he uses to address every task, big and small. “Life is too short and time too precious to waste,” Moore said. Moore’s energy…

Who's Who at the District At a time when most people often begin planning for their retirement, Betty Rushton was beginning her career in environmental science. “This is my second career,” said Rushton. “My first was a homemaker.” After raising four sons, Rushton went back to school at age 50 to finish her undergraduate degree in environmental studies at New College in Sarasota. But Rushton didn’t stop there, she continued on until she received her master’s in…