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Virginia Frissell, a science resource teacher at Twin Lakes Elementary School in Tampa was named The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Water Steward of the Year.Frissell was chosen for her “Water Everywhere — Put It First — Make It Last” project. Her project was chosen from seven finalists. Twin Lakes Elementary is in the District’s Hillsborough River Basin.Frissell was honored at the Governing Board’s October meeting.…

Eleven-year-old Tommy Money, along with friends Addie Ratliff, 9, and Emily Ratliff, 6, huddled together to discuss what they would name their longleaf pine sapling as they gently placed it into the ground with the help of District Senior Land Management Specialist Will VanGelder. The girls, who pledged to come back and check on the progress of their tree, quickly looked around for mature trees and other landmarks that will help them identify the location of their little…

Whether you were a scientist, diver or photographer, water quality was the hot topic at the recent Your Water, Your World workshop held in Brooksville.  The event, organized by the Hernando County Groundwater Guardian Committee, brought together community leaders such as District Governing Board members Tommy Bronson and George Mann to discuss issues affecting area water quality and ways to restore and protect local water resources. Presenters from various…

Five Hernando County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Hernando County to the strong partnership with Hernando County Schools. Jeff Yungmann, curriculum supervisor for Hernando County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and helped…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Safety Harbor recently signed an agreement for a project to prevent erosion and improve water quality within the Mullet Creek watershed.The watershed covers approximately one square mile within the city and includes the Lincoln Highlands subdivision and the Harbor Lake industrial park. The work will begin at Harbor Lake and extend downstream to the 9th Avenue North crossing.During the past 50 years, development…

Note: The new year-round water conservation measures will not go into effect until the current water shortage order, which restricts lawn watering to one-day-per-week, is lifted.The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted in December to approve revisions to the District’s two-day-per-week year-round water conservation measures to coincide with similar measures in other areas of the state.Compared to the state’s…

District scientists and planners recently completed an updated Regional Water Supply Plan to assess projected water demands and identify potential sources of water to meet those demands through the year 2025. The Regional Water Supply Plan was first developed in 2001 and is periodically revised based on updated information such as the demand for water. The plan, which was created for a ten-county area from Pasco County to Charlotte County, also identifies the…

She couldn’t help it; volunteering is in her blood. In the summer of 2000, Heidi McCree had entered a new phase in her life. She resigned from her position as executive director of the Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force, wanting to devote more time to her family and her newly adopted son, Alexander. Then came the call from the Governor’s Office. “Have you ever thought about being a Governing Board member?” “There was something within me … I just had to be…

Due to below normal rainfall, reduced river levels and increasing water supply concerns, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's "Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to increase "water restrictions":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/TBphase3.php in the Tampa Bay area. Even though December rainfall was near normal for our region, rainfall in January and February was 3.5 inches below normal.The…

Twenty-eight Pinellas County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Pinellas County to the strong partnership with Pinellas County Schools. Julie Poth, K–8 science supervisor for Pinellas County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and…

Volunteer Contribution  Terry Yoder of the Citizen Support Organization, far right, receives an award from District Governing Board Chair Watson L. Haynes II, Governing Board member Janet D. Kovach, and Governing Board Vice Chair Heidi B. McCree. We always feed our volunteers well. If anyone wants to sign up, call me!” That’s one of the selling points Karen Michalak makes when she’s trying to recruit people to join the Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted…

Above: This culvert/riser, which is an example of the types of items available for cost-share through the Mini-FARMS program, is used for water control on an agricultural site in southern DeSoto County. Right: Weather stations are funded through FARMS and Mini-FARMS as a way to irrigate more precisely, based on weather conditions. A good example is using a weather station for frost-freeze protection. The farmer has exact data for that area of the farm and can turn on…

 Brandt Henningsen, District chief environmental scientist, center, and Dr. Kate Spencer, right, with her students from the University of London. Each winter for the past eight years, Dr. Kate Spencer, a University of London professor, has brought a group of her students to the Tampa Bay area to tour District coastal ecosystem restoration projects and the TECO Manatee Viewing Center. Spencer has been bringing student groups to Florida since 2000, and she…

Educational tools for teachers and studentsSplash! School Grants: Provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance freshwater resources education. Water Education Videos: Short videos with coordinating teacher’s guides. Topics include: the water cycle, wetlands, watersheds,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will receive a portion of $50 million in the state budget for projects that help restore area springs. Gov. Rick Scott announced the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the water management districts have identified 40 springs projects that will receive $50 million as part of the 2017-2018 Fighting for Florida’s Future budget. The $50 million in Legacy Florida funding for springs restoration projects was…

The District uses an extensive combination of research and analysis when assessing aquifer water level changes and the impacts to the state's springs, rivers and wetlands. A computer model is one of those tools used in that research and analysis. The District uses porous media models to monitor and regulate groundwater withdrawals and the impacts to resources. Porous media models are mathematical representations of a groundwater system made up of sand, clay and…

A Sarasota condominium association received statewide recognition for a project it completed with the help of a Southwest Florida Water Management District Community Education Grant.The Pelican Cove Condominium Association was one of nine condominium and homeowners associations recognized at the Florida Community Association Journal’s Florida Communities of Excellence Awards. The associations were honored for their achievement in addressing the needs and concerns of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored four outstanding Pinellas County water resources education projects. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.

• Kurt Zuelsdorf, Kayak Nature Adventures owner, was recognized for his “Bringing Back the Bay” community education grant project. Through a 2007 Community Education Grant, Kayak…

  H. Paul Senft Jr., Governing Board Chair This edition of WaterMatters Magazine celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Created in 1961 through legislative action to serve as the local sponsor for a series of federal flood control projects, the District’s responsibilities have grown dramatically over time. Recognizing that our water resources — our coasts, rivers,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District "Governing Board(Governing Board)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard today proclaimed April as Water Conservation Month. Each year the "District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org designates April as Water Conservation Month because April is traditionally one of the driest months of the year and typically marks the peak demand season for public water suppliers. Many residents…