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Originally purchased as part of the Four River Basins project, the Green Swamp is the headwaters of the Withlacoochee, Ocklawaha, Hillsborough and Peace rivers. Protecting the Green Swamp is vital to protecting the quality and quantity of Florida’s water supply. Hundreds of thousands of acres of conservation lands have been protected and restored by the District during the past 50 years. These lands are managed to protect vital water functions and… Read more

The DeSoto County Parks and Recreation Department will receive a $5,000 Community Education Grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District for a three-part environmental education program.The $5,000 grant is for “Picking up the pieces on the Peace River,” a three-part environmental education program for DeSoto County residents. The program consists of a one-hour educational program, a guided canoe cleanup of the Peace River and the installation of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved an agreement today to provide the necessary easements so the Peace River/ Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority can move forward with constructing a reservoir on the RV Griffin Reserve.The six-billion-gallon reservoir will be used to store surface water drawn from the Peace River, which will reduce the region’s dependency on groundwater. Together with the existing 625-million-gallon… Read more

More than 160 people representing local governments, utilities and various industries came together Friday, March 23, at the Hilton Ocala Hotel for the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s first northern Water Conservation Summit.Held in partnership with the Suwannee River and St. Johns River water management districts, the summit served as an exchange of ideas on how local governments and utilities in the District’s northern region can plan for future… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the third phase of a project that will reduce groundwater pumping at a citrus grove in Charlotte County.TRB Groves, LLC is a 1,113-acre citrus grove located just north of Myrtle Slough which is in the Shell Creek watershed and the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA).The project, which was implemented in three phases, includes the construction of a 68-acre surface water irrigation reservoir,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved two projects that will reduce groundwater pumping in Hillsborough County.MD Council and Sons, Inc.The first project is at MD Council and Sons, Inc., a 60-acre strawberry and melon farm, located within the Little Manatee River watershed in southern Hillsborough County.This project involves constructing a surface water reservoir, two surface water irrigation pump stations, filtration and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has extended the water shortage emergency order issued Aug. 13 for the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority’s reservoir and two Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wellfields to help protect the drinking water supply for more than 250,000 residents.An executive order signed Wednesday will allow the authority to continue to temporarily increase withdrawals from the Peace River to store additional water in the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved a nitrogen reduction goal for water discharging from Lake Hancock and a preliminary treatment plan to achieve those goals.Lake Hancock is in the headwaters of the Peace River watershed that extends 120 miles downriver to Charlotte Harbor, an estuary of national significance and a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) priority water body. Water quality leaving the 4,500-acre lake has… Read more

The public is invited to share ideas concerning potential water resources restoration projects at the upcoming Citrus County Task Force meeting.The meeting is being held Monday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. at St. Martin’s Marsh Aquatic Preserve, which is located in the Crystal River Preserve State Park, 3266 North Sailboat Avenue, Crystal River.During the meeting the task force will be considering potential restoration projects to enhance fish and wildlife habitats in Citrus… Read more

Gov. Rick Scott on April 26 reappointed Albert Joerger, H. Paul Senft, and Doug Tharp to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard.Joerger is from Sarasota and is the founder and president of The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. His new term ends March 1, 2015. Joerger is also co-chair of the "Manasota Basin Board(Manasota Basin Board)":/about/… Read more

Todd Pressman, Governing Board secretary, and Sallie Parks, Governing Board member, were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of the Rotary Centennial Nature Center at Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin. The District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board helped support the project by contributing $35,000. Pressman and Parks are co-chair ex officios of the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board. The District’s involvement in the project included the design and… Read more

Approximately 200 people will have the opportunity to learn about karst features such as sinkholes, caves and springs, and their relationship to ground water through a Community Education Grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Hernando County Utilities was awarded the $4,900 grant for a one-day workshop that will teach Hernando County citizens, developers and leaders about the best management practices for living near karst features. Participants can… Read more

Part of being a water superhero means fighting off the villains that threaten our water resources. That includes invasive plants that creep in and take over natural water habitats. What Makes a Plant Invasive? Invasive plants are non-native species that have been brought to Florida from around the world. Some non-native plants are harmless, but others can reproduce and spread rapidly, pushing out native plants and wildlife. When non-native plants… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency last year. That’s why the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has scheduled restoration work on the Orange State Canal located in Citrus County. The work is scheduled to take place from May 16 to June 15. Boat access from the Withlacoochee River through the canal will not be available during the scheduled restoration work. Activity is scheduled to occur during daylight hours between Monday and Friday each week. Restoration work on the Orange State Canal will focus on… Read more

Tampa Bay Regional Reclaimed Water and Downstream Augmentation Project The Tampa Bay area already leads the nation in the reuse of reclaimed water. An innovative new project will make a good system even better, making use of both dry-season and wet-season supplies. The Tampa Bay Regional Reclaimed Water and Downstream Augmentation Project is an ambitious reclaimed water project that will save millions of gallons of potable water per day, make additional water… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has scheduled restoration work on the Orange State Canal located in Citrus County. The work is scheduled to take place from May 16 to June 15. Boat access from the Withlacoochee River through the canal will not be available during the scheduled restoration work. Activity is scheduled to occur during daylight hours between Monday and Friday each week. Restoration work on the Orange State Canal will focus on… Read more

Members of the Peace River Basin Board and District staff recently set out on a fact-finding mission to the Orlando Wetlands Park. The group is exploring options on how to improve the water quality leaving Lake Hancock. The Wetlands Park is an example of one option under consideration. Lake Hancock is in the headwaters of the Peace River watershed that extends 120 miles downriver to Charlotte Harbor, an estuary of national significance and a Surface Water Improvement… Read more

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… Read more