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Two Hardee County projects expected to reach up to 2,200 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.state.fl.…

Hold Back The Rain     Gene Farley’s days are spent watching and listening for signs of trouble. Farley is the “structures guy,” otherwise known as the Structure Controls Supervisor, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Farley is the man who makes the decision when to open or close one of the 80 water conservation and flood control structures the District operates and maintains in the 16-county area of west-central Florida. While…

Who:Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hernando County Planning Department, Hernando County Audubon Society and volunteersWhat:As part of the 15th Annual National Public Lands Day, the District’s Land Resources Department is coordinating a volunteer work day at the Weekiwachee Preserve, which is located along the Hernando County Coast, west of the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to extendthe current Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, until Nov. 30.The water shortage order, which was declared by the District’s Executive Director David L. Moore, went into effect Jan. 16 and was slated to expire July 31. It was…

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, educators and approximately 500 students from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas countiesWhat:6th Annual Youth SummitThe summit brings together the youth, educators and community partners who have been involved in Earth Force programs during the past year. It is a day of education and celebration.The students will have the opportunity to share their environmentally oriented…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” July and August for two District sites in Sarasota County Myakka River Project property and the Deer Prairie Creek property.Both sites are located to the north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190, with U.S. Hwy. 41 as its far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port and Warm Mineral Springs…

The public is invited to attend a celebration focusing on the history, restoration and future preservation of Lake Panasofkee on Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event, which is free to the public, is located at the Marsh Bend Outlet River Park on the north side of the bridge on County Road 470 in Sumter County.The celebration includes educational activities for adults and children, kids’ fishing activities, entertainment and a “Lake PanPal”…

 About the FARMS ProgramFARMS is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). In conjunction with water conservation BMPs, water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas.The program is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water…

"Lake Panasoffkee(Lake Panasoffkee: SWIM Program Priority Water Body)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/swim/panasoffkee.php water is clearer, eelgrass is thicker and fisheries are richer in response to the recent restoration project and effective management of lake levels, according to "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ and "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(Florida Fish and Wildlife…

The District’s Governing Board honored Bob Mercer at its meeting Tuesday for his passion and dedication to improving the Crystal River/Kings Bay spring system. Mercer passed away in January. Mercer’s wife of many years, Phillis Rosetti-Mercer, accepted the Springs Community Partner Award in her husband’s memory. “Bob would have loved this so much,” she said during the Governing Board presentation, as she wiped away tears. The award is given to individuals and…

Nine Marion County 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 the grant program in Marion County to the…

_More than 272,000 acres of dense seagrass digitally mapped_The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently completed a seagrass mapping project to monitor the long-term health of seagrass beds along the Springs Coast. The project involved digitally mapping more than 525,000 acres of submerged land from the mouth of the Anclote River near Tarpon Springs to the mouth of the Withlacoochee River. Seagrass generally grows in waters less than 14 feet deep and is an…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board(Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/pinellas-anclote.php voted Oct. 6 to fund three projects to help reduce flooding in East Lake's Tarpon Woods subdivision.The cost of the $1.9 million in projects will be funded equally by the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board and "Pinellas County(Pinellas County Goverment)":http://www.…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David Moore signed a water shortage emergency order last week allowing Tampa Bay Water to withdraw up to 7.1 million gallons per day (mgd) of water from the Morris Bridge Sink to help meet the potable water demand of its member governments.Tampa Bay Water provides water to Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, as well as the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa.Ongoing drought conditions have…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District approved today an additional $2 million to complete an existing project that will maximize the use of reclaimed water resources in Pasco County.The Pasco County Wet Weather Reclaimed Water Reservoir project involves constructing a reservoir on 35 acres next to the Land O’ Lakes wastewater treatment facility. The reservoir will have the capacity to store up to 100 million gallons of reclaimed water.An extensive geological…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting residents who live near Lake Hancock to an open house concerning the Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project. The open house is being held Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the District’s Bartow Service Office from 3 until 7 p.m.Residents who own property within the Lake Hancock area that may be impacted if the project is implemented are encouraged to attend so they can discuss the project with District staff.The Lake…

Audubon of Florida honored a District employee this fall for his role in saving the land that makes Florida a special place to live, work, visit and explore. Henry Dean, Audubon board member and former executive director of the St. Johns River and South Florida water management districts, presented the Florida Audubon Special Places Award to Fritz Musselmann, land resources director, during Audubon’s Annual Assembly. “In the face of decades of explosive growth, he…

Two District communications projects recently received international recognition. The Communicator Awards 2005 print/media competition awarded its Award of Distinction to “Bringing Back the Bay” and “WaterMatters.” Entries came from throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Communicator Awards entrants are submitted by advertising and public relations agencies, corporate communications departments, educational institutions, government entities,…

Attention-Grabbing Exhibit A unique exhibit aimed at getting the word out about water conservation will hit the road again in 2004. “The water conservation restroom trailer proved to be an effective tool in getting our message out to a wide variety of people,” said Beth Bartos, communications manager for the District. The District set up the trailer, funded by the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board, at five community festivals within the basin last year.…

Hillsborough County students at 34 schools will study the issues surrounding our freshwater resources thanks to "Splash! school grants":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The Hillsborough County awardees are:* Christine Lindbak, *Alonso High*, was awarded $2,150. Students will learn about the Hillsborough River watershed and then conduct water quality tests while on a field trip to the Crystal Springs…