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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close the following District-managed lands Monday, Oct. 8, in anticipation of impacts from Hurricane Michael. The following properties will be closed until further notice or per specified date:

• Annutteliga Hammock
• Chassahowitzka River – Burnt Bridge Road entrance
• Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve
• Masaryktown Canal
• Panasoffkee Outlet
• Weekiwachee…

Nineteen Pasco 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 Pasco County to the…

Two water management districts are teaming up to offer a variety of interactive games and exercises at the 5th Annual Marion County Springs Festival.Because Marion County is within the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the St Johns Water Management District, staff members from both districts are working together to teach kids about our water resources. Some of the hands-on activities include “In the Bubble,” “Make it Sink,” and “…

While tropical storms Beryl and Debby provided record rains to the region, they were not enough to restore hydrologic conditions to normal. That's why the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to extend its "Modified Phase III water shortage order":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/phase3.php.Phase III restrictions were extended until July 31 for Citrus, Hernando,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving the delicate balance between meeting human water needs and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board heard today from District hydrologic data staff that the region’s water resources are recovering, but are still impacted from two years of drought.“We’re seeing improvements overall in hydrologic conditions but we are approaching the end of the rainy season in September,” said Granville Kinsman, District Hydrologic Data manager. “We still have much more room for the water resources…

The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) recently awarded the Southwest Florida and St. Johns River water management districts with the Technical Merit Award in the area of research for their work on minimum flows and levels (MFLs.)The mission of NALMS is to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists and professionals to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs for today and tomorrow. NALMS produces an international, peer-reviewed scientific…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFL) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving the delicate balance between meeting human water needs and those…

A cooperative project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County will restore more than 160 acres within the county’s 2800-acre Fish Hawk Creek Preserve. Portions of the preserve are adjacent to District-owned lands and are within the Fish Hawk Creek watershed.This project will restore natural vegetation to upland habitat areas within the preserve. In addition to providing habitat for wildlife, the restoration of natural vegetation…

Next weekend Hillsborough County adults will have the opportunity to see what their kids have been enjoying in their schools for years.Stages Productions will perform two free, public shows of “Water Pigs,” a live, interactive water resource and conservation theatre presentation. The first performance is Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at the Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, located at 619 Vonderberg Drive in Brandon. The second performance is Saturday,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board and the City of Punta Gorda are among the stakeholders who signed a plan today that will improve water quality in the Shell Creek and Prairie Creek watersheds, Punta Gorda’s primary water supply source.By signing the Shell CreekPrairie Creek Watershed Management Plan, stakeholders of diverse interests are coming together to join forces and work to address water quality issues in a…

Randall S. Maggard Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Randall S. (Randy) Maggard to the District’s Governing Board. Maggard is from Pasco County and is vice president of Sonny’s Discount Appliances, Inc. He was appointed to succeed Ronald E. Oakley, and his term ends March 1, 2015. Prior to his appointment to the Governing Board, Maggard was a member of the District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board from 2004 to 2010, including serving as vice chairman. A native of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of North Port are working together on an innovative alternative water supply project that will allow the city to use the Myakkahatchee Creek as a year-round water supply source, improving the quality of drinking water to customers and providing a more reliable water supply to the city and the region.The project includes the design, permitting and construction of a facility with river bank filtration (RBF) and…

Festival coincides with first Springs Awareness WeekThis year’s Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival, which is being held March 14 – 15 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala, coincides with the first Springs Awareness Week.The Southwest Florida Water Management District has partnered with Citrus and Marion counties and the cities of Crystal River and Dunnellon to proclaim March 14-21 as Springs Awareness Week. The goal is to…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through March on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County.Deep Creek Preserve is located at 10797 Peace River Street in Arcadia, east of State Road 769. Approximately 300 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.Some major benefits of prescribed…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/, the "US Fish and Wildlife Service(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)":http://www.fws.gov/, and the "Friends of Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge(Friends of Chassahowitzka)":http://friendsofchazz.org/ are holding a third public open house at the newly acquired Three Sisters Springs property on Saturday, Jan. 22, from 8 a.m. to noon."Our refuge biologist, Joyce Kleen, counted…

New Governing Board Member Sworn In New Governing Board member Pat Symons is getting used to her role at the District. Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Symons in March. Patsy C. Symons of Arcadia is owner/president of Symons Groves, Inc. Symons succeeds Pamela L. Fentress, whose term expired March 1, 2004. Symons also assumed responsibility as co-chair ex officio of the District’s Peace River Basin Board. Ms. Symons says she applied to become a board member…

Fritz Musselmann, District land resources director. The Sierra Club’s Florida Chapter recognizes Fritz Musselmann’s appreciation for the land. The organization presented the District’s Land Resources director with the Osprey Award at the District’s October Governing Board meeting. “I really appreciate the recognition,” said Musselmann. “However, I can assure you that this award would not have come to me without the hard work, dedication and trustworthiness…

Above: New observation tower at the preserve. Below: The view from the tower. Outdoor enthusiasts have a new preserve to visit in Levy County. The Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve is 413 acres of publicly owned land managed by Yankeetown. Preserve visitors can enjoy a boardwalk, hiking trails and an education building. There is also an area to launch kayaks located on a half-mile portage trail. Boaters should be…

  Left: District staff outside the Welcome Center: Will Miller, land use and protection manager; Colleen Kruk, senior land use specialist; Eric Sutton, Land Resources assistant director; Heidi McCree, Governing Board member; and Lou Kavouras, deputy executive director, accept a plaque honoring the District’s commitment to Nature’s Classroom. Center: Sixth graders from Young Middle School take water samples and examine what they scooped up — in this case, a water…