Search Content

Lasting Impression Through Learning A unique environmental education program is giving Dunnellon students the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the community. The students are participating in the Legacy Program, a Southwest Florida Water Management District-funded project that receives matching grant funds from Florida Learn and Serve. The Legacy Program is a hands-on learning experience that allows seventh- and eighth-grade students the opportunity to…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's ":http://www.WaterMatters.org Governing Board yesterday approved funding for a project that will reduce groundwater withdrawals in Polk County by an estimated annual average savings of 21,000 gallons per day.John Crum Lake McLeod Blueberries will be reimbursed up to $41,810 for a surface water irrigation reservoir and tailwater recovery system at its 20-acre blueberry farm. The property is located within the Southern Water…

The Dunnellon Homeschool Club will share information it learned about protecting and conserving our water resources with the community at a workshop Thursday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m.The workshop, which is being held at the Dunnellon Public Library meeting room, 20351 Robinson Road. in Dunnellon, will discuss current events impacting our water supply, the aquifer and other natural systems, and water conservation methods, including Florida-friendly landscaping and rain barrels.…

A reclaimed water project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Plant City will provide approximately 400,000 gallons per day (gpd) to Walden Lake Golf Course, South Florida Baptist Hospital and the Strawberry Festival grounds, which will offset an estimated 300,000 gpd of potable water.This multi-year project includes the design, permitting and construction of approximately 15,000 feet of reclaimed water transmission line extending from the city…

Douglas B. Tharp took his oath of office Tuesday to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board.Tharp was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a restructured seat representing Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties. The Governing Board was previously made up of 11 seats. Last year the State Legislature added two new seats for a total of 13. Tharp was appointed to the seat once held by Judy Whitehead. In April 2008, Whitehead was…

Educators interested in securing grant funding for classroom projects that focus on water quality, natural systems, water conservation, alternative water sources, flood protection or watersheds are encouraged to apply for a Splash! mini-grant through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about their local watersheds and the water resources within them. Splash…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 1,358,400 gallons per day (gpd) at a Charlotte County citrus grove.The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The FARMS project, proposed by Ben Hill Griffin, Inc., C & S Grove, is located within the Shell Creek Watershed in…

The District’s Governing Board recognized Cheryl Paradis as one of this year’s springs community partners, while declaring April Springs Protection Awareness Month.  Paradis has served as the director and lead teacher at the Springs Coast Environmental Education Center on the Weeki Wachee River since 2008. Each year, she passionately educates approximately 8,000 Hernando County students, teachers and families about Weeki Wachee Springs and how to protect the…

Approximately 15 volunteers will get their feet wet this Saturday, May 21, participating in a restoration project organized by the Kings Bay Advisory Group.The volunteers will plant a variety of emergent, or water, plants along the Kings Bay shoreline. The goal of this project is to improve the habitat of the hardened shoreline, which will reduce wave action and lead to better water clarity and quality. By planting approximately 160 native plants, volunteers also hope to…

Hotels, motels and restaurants in Charlotte County can conserve water with the help of three Southwest Florida Water Management District programs.The District’s Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water CHAMP), Water Program for Restaurant Outreach (Water PRO), and Charlotte County Toilet Rebate Program are designed to help businesses conserve water through training and retrofitting.Water CHAMPWater CHAMP is the District’s linens and towel reuse program…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year.The District will hold a virtual public meeting Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public can join the…

At its June 10 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 11.19 percent decrease in ad valorem…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year. The District will hold a virtual public meeting Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. Members of the public can join the…

Three water management districts — the Southwest Florida, South Florida and St. Johns River — are working together to meet the growing water supply needs of a five-county region in central Florida while also protecting the water and related natural resources. The water management districts approved an action plan for the Central Florida Coordination Area (CFCA), which extends into the three water management districts and includes Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Polk…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year. The District will hold a public meeting Aug. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. Members of the public can also join the…

It’s official. District employees in Tampa now have a new home. While the subject of maintaining flood control structures caught the nation’s attention after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, structures have always been at the top of the District’s priorities. Flood protection is one of the District’s areas of responsibility. The District’s goal is to minimize the potential for damage from floods by protecting and restoring the natural water storage and…

This year District volunteers will take part in the 14th Annual National Public Lands Day, a yearly opportunity for Americans to improve and enhance the public lands they enjoy. The event, which is Saturday, Sept. 29, is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort. District staff and volunteers will be conducting a beach cleanup at the District’s Piney Point Tract, which is located in southern Hillsborough County. For more information and to learn how you can…

  Teams of students tackle questions at the recent 2012 Nature Coast Envirothon at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park. They examined soil, measured trees and got a close look at a snake.   The hands-on tasks were part of the 2012 Nature Coast Envirothon at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell where 260 high school students competed. The competition is a problem-solving, natural resources education program…

District scientists have completed a second year of setting up wetland monitoring sites as part of a regional monitoring program. The project is part of the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI), a water planning effort among government agencies, water utilities, environmental groups, business organizations, agricultural communities and other stakeholders in a five-county…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is collecting public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Cypress, Garden and Halfmoon lakes in Hillsborough County. In accordance with the directive in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Emergency Order to conduct all public meetings electronically, the District will provide virtual outreach now through Sept. 8 at…