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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…

Left: Rep. Richard Glorioso, R-Plant City; Robert Brown, Plant City Commissioner; Heidi McCree, Governing Board member; Hugh Gramling, Hillsborough River Basin Board member; Fred Johnson, former Hillsborough River Basin Board member; and Devon Higginbotham, Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board member, visited the McIntosh Park site. The District’s new Governing Board chair knew early in life that his future lay in the citrus industry. Born in Avon Park and…

  The drowning of thousands of chickens at several Masaryktown chicken farms was one of the catalysts for the creation of the District. From devastating flooding caused by hurricanes to severe droughts to an unprecedented freeze, major weather events have played an important role in shaping the District’s policies and procedures during the last 50 years…

Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order remains in effect DistrictwideThe Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to extend one-day-per-week watering restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties until July 1. This extension mirrors the existing water shortage order currently in effect for Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Manatee, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake…

Drilling more than half a mile below ground to find new sources of water in the Lower Florida aquifer (LFA). Finding new ways to reuse reclaimed water. Combining stormwater and reclaimed water to build a sustainable supply. These are some of the innovative projects the Central Florida Water Initiative is developing to meet the growing water needs of the five-county Central…

Twenty-one Polk County teachers and four private school 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…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing and Basin Board members and staff, hundreds of volunteersWhat: District volunteers, awards presentation, youth educational activities, picnic lunch, games, hay ride, and live music.When: Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The award ceremony begins at noon.Where: Green Swamp West Meeting Facility, 13345 Ranch Road, Dade City, 33525Why: Volunteers play an important role in the District’s efforts to improve…

Water Stewardship of the Year Award Winner And the nominees for water stewardship are…” While the District’s Water Stewardship Awards program may not be as big as the Oscars, the program is like the Academy Awards because it recognizes excellence. In this case, excellence is in the form of outstanding stewardship of Florida’s water resources. The District’s Governing Board chose Virginia Frissell as the Water Stewardship of the Year Award winner for her project “…

Hispanic Outreach Nearly 10 percent of the people who live in the District are Hispanic, and for many, Spanish is their first language. To reach that audience with a water conservation message, the District developed the Hispanic Outreach Program. The idea behind the campaign began with the Governing Board’s Diversity Committee, said project manager John Walkinshaw. Spanish-speaking District employees also showed an interest in promoting the outreach. Alberto…

Defining Moment In an effort to make conservation more “user-friendly,” the Governing Board has adopted the term “Florida-friendly” to use in the District’s landscape management outreach and education projects. Florida-friendly will replace the terms “Xeriscape™” and “water-wise.” Why the change? Two reasons: concept and consistency. While Xeriscape landscapes are defined as landscaping that conserves water and protects the environment, some people still…

A site in Charlotte County named after Florida’s best-known reptile is undergoing a transformation. The District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), is presently undertaking a multiphase ecosystem and hydrologic restoration project in the Alligator Creek Addition of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. The 1,600-acre Alligator Creek Addition is owned by the FDEP…

Known for being a role model and a leader at the District, Roberta Starks has now received recognition from Hillsborough Community College (HCC). Starks was recognized at the college’s alumni award ceremony in December. The event, which was the first of its kind at HCC, honored 40 alumni in celebration of the college’s 40th anniversary. “The task for selecting only 40 remarkable alumni was a difficult one for our committee,” said Gwendolyn Stephenson, Ph.D., HCC…

A soon-to-be-completed restoration project at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park began as an idea Denise Tenuto had several years ago while waiting in the former attraction’s parking lot to pick up her daughter, who worked there as a lifeguard. “As I was waiting for her, I noticed the rain in the parking lot was flowing toward the springs,” said Tenuto, a District environmental coordinator who recently retired. When the District began its springs protection initiative…

Left: Mary Margaret Hull, District lead youth education coordinator, simulates the sounds of a thunderstorm during a “Rain Game” exercise with Countryside Montessori Elementary School students. Right: Countryside Montessori Elementary School students learn about the hydrologic cycle. District staff educated more than 1,000 students about water resources, conservation and water management careers at this year’s Great American Teach-In. The Great American Teach-…

From left: Frederick J. Buckman, Pasco County Parks and Recreation director; Jay B. Starkey, Jr.; Allen Altman, Pasco County School Board chair; Todd Pressman, District Governing Board member; and Lou Kavouras, deputy executive director for District Outreach, Planning, Board Services & Ombudsman, mark the opening of the Starkey Environmental Education Center exhibits with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Representatives from the Pasco County School Board, Pasco…

Five counties within the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s region are now under a Modified Phase III water shortage order due to below-normal rainfall this winter. The District’s Governing Board voted last month to declare the Phase III order for northern counties in the District’s region, which are: Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, and Sumter as well as the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County. A Modified Phase I alert remains in effect for the…