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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…

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…

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…

Judy Whitehead, Governing Board member and former chair, presents Patsy Symons, Tom Dabney and Heidi McCree with plaques in honor of their service on the Governing Board. The District’s Governing Board recognized two former Governing Board chairs and a former member for their dedication to public service. During the May meeting, the Governing Board honored Tom Dabney, Heidi McCree and Patsy Symons…

 District staff and contractors discuss floodplain concerns with residents. District Governing Board members and staff recently got a firsthand view of a successful agricultural alternative water-use project built through the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) Program. The project involved constructing a surface water tailwater recovery system that was built at Lallymix Farms’ Poucher Road farm in Hardee County. The…

On Tuesday, the Southewest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board adopted a $202.7 million budget for FY2020, including more than $81 million for the Cooperative Funding Initiative and District grants for water resources projects. The budget reflects the District’s commitment to protect Florida’s water resources and to improve Florida’s economic vitality. Some of the key initiatives in the District’s FY2020 budget include:

• $25.7 million for…

One of the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) restoration projects is providing inspiration for hundreds of Hillsborough County art and photography students. Ten classes of middle and high school students were recently given the opportunity to learn about and explore the Schultz Preserve, located near the Port of Tampa. The field trips to the restoration site and the TECO Manatee Viewing Center were part of an education project funded by a TECO…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Pasco County's Pithlachascotee River/Bear Creek watershed. Residents living in the Pithlachascotee River/Bear Creek watershed are invited to attend an open house on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 or Thursday, May 1, 2014 beginning each day at 4:00 p.m. The meetings will take place at River Ridge High School, located…