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For years the land was about the cattle, not about the water. Ranchers, wanting to take advantage of vast tracts of unspoiled land, built roads through the marsh to connect islands. The roads blocked the flow of water, the marsh dried up and cattle began wandering from island to island to graze. But the marsh is returning. Water is now flowing naturally between the Hernando pool of Tsala Apopka Lake and Potts Preserve, thanks to a restoration project the District… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board last week adopted interim rules for water use permits in the Central Florida Coordination Area.The Coordination Area has limited traditional groundwater supplies that will not be adequate to meet all future demands, necessitating the need to develop alternative water supplies.The rules are part of the Action Plan that coordinates efforts among the Southwest Florida, South Florida and St. Johns River… Read more

WhoThird- and fourth-grade Wildwood Elementary School students; Louise Ross, Director of Elementary Education for the Sumter County School Board; and Southwest Florida Water Management District Youth Education staffWhatDistrict Youth Education staff will visit a third- and fourth-grade class at Wildwood Elementary School to observe water education projects funded through its Splash! mini-grant program.Ms. Benachoice Caruthers third-grade students will demonstrate their… Read more

A former student intern used her District experience to emphasize the importance of fresh, clean water to residents along the Amazon.  Kaylie Kushmer traveled to the Amazon River in Southern Colombia and Brazil last month to help drill wells, run potable water lines to a school and educate children on the hydrologic cycle. Kushmer is the daughter of Danny Kushmer, government affairs program manager.  Kaylie’s trip was in coordination with Wine to Water… Read more

  The Florida Ground Water Association (FGWA) recently presented an award to Tony Gilboy, the District’s well construction regulation manager, for his outstanding service to the association. The award was presented to Gilboy at the recent FGWA Convention and Trade Show in Orlando. “To be recognized at such a large convention was an extraordinary experience,” said Gilboy. Gilboy was honored for his outstanding contributions to the well industry. His… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for DeSoto County Utilities.The modified permit increases the permitted quantities for the county. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 415,000 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 821,600 gpd, which is an increase of 406,600 gpd.The quantity was increased to meet the water demands associated with the expansion of the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is assisting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) in performing maintenance on the Inglis Bypass Spillway water control structure located in Levy County on the Inglis Bypass Channel. The work is scheduled to take place January 12-24, 2018.During that time, the water control gates will need to be partially or fully closed. Closings are anticipated to occur during daylight hours and for a duration… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is assisting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) in performing maintenance on the Inglis Bypass Spillway water control structure located in Levy County on the Inglis Bypass Channel. The work is scheduled to take place from Feb. 28 to March 9.During that time, the water control gates will need to be partially or fully closed. Closings are anticipated to occur during daylight hours and for a… Read more

At its August 17 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.160 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $20,235,533, which represents an increase of $5,859,524 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values, an increase in carryover funds from prior years as compared to FY2005 and… Read more

table(webalert). |Who:|The Hernando County Housing Authority and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.||*What:*|Ribbon cutting ceremony for Magnolia Gardens, the first community in Florida to be certified under the Florida Water Star℠ standard.The 55 and older community will receive a plaque for completing the voluntary certification program for builders, developers and homeowners, which encourages water efficiency.The 60-unit apartment community met the… Read more

Two Hernando County projects were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 49 grants Districtwide for a total of $171,444. This is the 10th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to… Read more

A cooperatively funded project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the WateReuse Foundation will help water managers determine the best way to store and distribute reclaimed water.The goal of the study is to understand the process of how reclaimed water changes or degrades during seasonal storage and distribution.The study focuses on determining how potential pathogens and nuisance organisms may grow, re-grow or proliferate in reclaimed water.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently amended an agreement with the City of Safety Harbor to move forward on a project that will reduce erosion near the Rainbow Farms subdivision.Rainbow Farms is located within the Bishop Creek Watershed. The goal of this project is to stabilize Bishop Creek to prevent further erosion. In the past 25 years the creek has eroded beyond the established easement and is encroaching onto the adjoining residential properties.… Read more

At its June 10 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.195 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The tentative budget for FY2006 is $10,488,788, which is an increase of $293,978 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values. FY2006 will run from Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006.For… Read more

DeSoto County ranchers can learn how to use soil testing to more effectively fertilize pastures through a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org.The *Range Cattle Research and Education Center* received a $5,000 grant to offer free soil and tissue testing and educational materials to regional beef and forage producers. Reductions in the amount of fertilizer applied… Read more

Charlotte County ranchers can learn how to use soil testing to more effectively fertilize pastures through a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org.The *Range Cattle Research and Education Center* received a $5,000 grant to offer free soil and tissue testing and educational materials to regional beef and forage producers. Reductions in the amount of fertilizer… Read more

Sarasota developer Lee Wetherington received special recognition Wednesday for his commitment to water resources from the Southwest Florida Water Management’s Manasota Basin Board.The Manasota Basin Board chose to honor Wetherington for taking the lead in getting Sarasota County’s landscape ordinance passed and adopting Florida-friendly landscaping practices in his developments.Wetherington’s Misner Reserve at Lakewood Ranch was the first Florida Yards and… Read more

A “Weekend in My Watershed” workshop may give participants a new perspective of their watershed.The workshop, which is sponsored by the Florida Lake Management Society, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pinellas County, will be held June 24 and 25 at the Brooker Creek Preserve.Participants will explore the preserve and attend formal training and demonstrations at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center. Workshop topics include… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County will celebrate the completion of the Fred & Idah Schultz Preserve with a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Nov 10th at 3 p.m.The preserve, which is located in southeastern Hillsborough County, is part of a 204-acre ecosystem restoration project known as the “Kitchen.” This area includes Port Redwing, Dug Creek and the Davis Tract. Restoration of the 60-acre Davis Tract was completed in 2002… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is releasing additional water from the Medard Reservoir into the Alafia River to protect the structural integrity of the reservoir.In preparation for potential impacts from Hurricane Milton, the District released water and the Medard Reservoir was below normal operating level. However, the Medard Reservoir received nearly 7 inches of rainfall in the watershed and the reservoir rose 6.5 feet as a result of Hurricane… Read more