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The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Town of Inglis will soon begin implementing projects to improve water quality and reduce flooding in Cason Acres and surrounding areas.The 19-acre watershed, located in southern Levy County, has a history ofwidespread flooding in the areas between Vicki, Sapp, Daisy and Lori streets. A watershed is an area of land that water flows across as it moves toward a common body of water. This watershed discharges to the…

Watson Haynes II, Governing Board chair, and Ronnie Duncan, Governing Board member, were on hand to celebrate the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center grand opening. The $1.4 million center is equipped with an auditorium that seats 250 people, three fully equipped classroom/laboratories, an exhibit gallery with hands-on displays, and a system of boardwalks and trails that will provide wilderness experiences to an estimated 175,000 visitors annually…

Five Polk County projects that are expected to reach approximately 27,100 residents were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants offer up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 32 grants Districtwide. This is the 12th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on "Shell and Prairie creeks(Prairie-Shell Creek)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/prairie_shell_creek.html during the week of April 26–29. District workers will treat portions of the creeks upstream of the Henderson Dam. Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations…

Governing Board Chair H. Paul Senft, Jr. addresses dignitaries at the dedication of the Integrated Loop System Phase 3A Interconnect Project at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Water Treatment Plant in Venice. Four counties in the District’s southern region have moved closer to a regional water system with the completion of a series of transmission pipelines. The Integrated Loop System Phase 3A Interconnect Project includes nine miles of new drinking water…

Wetland and upland areas in Manatee County's new Tom Bennett Park are being restored thanks to a partnership between the county and the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Manatee County began construction of the 180-acre park, located just east of Bradenton, in May 2010, and the park is scheduled to open Nov. 12. The county turned former pasture and woodlands into a passive park, offering residents a tranquil place to…

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…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.WaterMatters.org will begin work May 12 in "Potts Preserve(Potts Preserve)":http://www.WaterMatters.org/recreation/areas/potts.html to restore the historic natural flow patterns of water between the preserve's marsh and the Hernando pool of Lake Tsala Apopka.District workers will remove the fill material associated with the "western dike" and the "middle road" which have…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering information to improve identification of flooding risks for three Marion County watersheds.This information is being developed as part of the *Withlacoochee River*, *Withlacoochee River 2* and *Withlacoochee Region* watershed management plans. The plans were cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Marion County.The District is…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a water shortage emergency and authorized the Englewood Water District to help the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (Authority) by providing water to Charlotte County Utilities.The Authority requested the emergency authorization, in conjunction with Englewood and Charlotte County, to temporarily offset water demand that is normally supplied exclusively by the Authority. The Authority’s…

Citrus County residents recently benefited from a grass giveaway.  About 50 people left with more than 1,000 peat pots of eelgrass grown as part of the District’s Hunters Cove Revegetation Project.  The District has been growing mats of eelgrass in ponds at the Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River. After the mats were grown, they were rolled up and transported to Hunters Cove in Crystal River and placed on the bottom in sections, similar to…

The Southwest Florida Management District recently signed an agreement with Hillsborough County to move forward on a project that will reduce flooding near Lake June.The Lake June Wetlands Restoration and Wee Lake Outfall Improvements project will improve conveyance and provide additional storage within the watershed by relocating and upgrading existing ditches and culverts, and removing an earthen land bridge built across Lake June for peat mining. Lake June and Wee Lake…

Clockwise, from top left: Paul Senft, Judith C. Whitehead, Hugh M. Gramling and Bryan K. Beswick. Henry “Paul” Senft, Jr., the second Governing Board member to serve in a newly created position, took his oath of office at the March Governing Board meeting. Senft was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a newly created seat representing Polk County. The Governing Board was previously made up of 11 seats. Last year the state Legislature added two…

 District staff and Governing and Basin Board members toured The Villages. From left to right: Albert “Bo” Rooks, Withlacoochee River Basin Board member; John Heuer, deputy executive director; Janet Kovach, Governing Board member; Jerry Rice, Governing Board vice chair; Seeth Trimpert, Withlacoochee River Basin Board vice chair; John Arnett, III, water resources engineer for The Villages; Janey Baldwin, Withlacoochee River Basin Board member; Gary Moyer, vice…

Following Hurricane Milton, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has deactivated the Tampa Bypass Canal System and the Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (HFDA), as water levels in the Hillsborough River have returned to normal. This marks a positive step as the region recovers from the heavy rainfall caused by the storm. To assist with flood control during the storm, the District activated the Tampa Bypass Canal System on October 8 to protect…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on "Shell and Prairie creeks(Prairie-Shell Creek)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/prairie_shell_creek.html during the week of March 8–12. District workers will treat portions of the creeks upstream of the Henderson Dam. Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations…

**Yankeetown School's Genie Sturtevant was 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.For the past seven years, the "Withlacoochee River Basin Board(Withlacoochee River Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/…

DeSoto County ranchers can learn how to use soil testing to more effectively fertilize pastures through a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org.The *Range Cattle Research and Education Center* received a $5,000 grant to offer free soil and tissue testing and educational materials to regional beef and forage producers. Reductions in the amount of fertilizer applied…

Charlotte County ranchers can learn how to use soil testing to more effectively fertilize pastures through a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org.The *Range Cattle Research and Education Center* received a $5,000 grant to offer free soil and tissue testing and educational materials to regional beef and forage producers. Reductions in the amount of fertilizer…

Six Pinellas County projects expected to reach more than 18,000 people were awarded Community Education Grants from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org. These grants offer up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources. This year the District awarded "35 grants Districtwide(2010 Community Education Grant Projects)":http://www.swfwmd.…