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The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping at LallyMix Farms in Hardee County.The farm recently converted from growing citrus to blueberries.The project involves installing a weather station, soil moisture sensors and automated pump controls in addition to constructing a surface water reservoir and the associated water control structures and ditches for an irrigation system.Using a surface…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) team of springs experts will begin the Chassahowitzka Springs sediment removal project the week of May 27, 2013. Eliminating the sand and organic materials that have deposited at the bottom of the spring over time will improve the recreational, economical and ecological value of the Chassahowitzka waterway, resulting in a cleaner, more historic looking body of water.The District…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District District) is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year. Following the directive in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Emergency Order to conduct all public meetings electronically to reduce the…

 Jack Dangermond, ESRI president and CEO, presents Axel Griner, District senior GIS analyst, with the District’s special achievement award. The District received a special achievement award at the annual Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) International Users Conference for its vision, leadership and innovative use of geographic information system (GIS) technology. The District was selected from more than 300,000 organizations worldwide. “…

At its September 10 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2005 (FY2005) millage rate of 0.195 mills, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget forFY 2005 is $10,194,810, which is a decrease of $5,839,024 from the approvedFY2004 budget. The decrease is due primarily to a reduction in Florida Forever funding for the Lake Hancock Outfall project, which was part of theFY 2004 budget.FY2005…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. 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 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,…

Paddling down the calm flows of the Chassahowitzka River, you might come across a barge humming with machinery. All seems calm on the surface to the casual boater floating nearby. But in the depths below the water line, divers are hard at work restoring a portion of the treasured waterway in Citrus County. Workers are removing sediments that have accumulated in the springs. It’s part of the District’s Chassahowitzka Springs Restoration Project.  Sand and…

Taking a trip to one of the Sunshine State's beautiful springs soon? If so, you may see a popular “sunny” fish while you're there. Almost 40 percent of all fish found in the Rainbow River System were the Spotted Sunfish, according to a recent paper published in the scientific journal, Florida Scientist, and written by District's Kym Holzwart a senior environmental scientist with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The District contracted with the Florida…

Teachers interested in securing a Splash! mini-grant through the Southwest Florida Water Management District can begin applying online. The application is available on the District’s web site at WaterMatters.org/mini-grants.This year the District improved the online application process and will no longer have printed applications.“Last year we received 110 applications and only two of them were submitted on paper, the rest were all submitted online,” said…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $119,000 in grants to 65 schools within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12. Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness…

At its June 15 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.160 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The tentative budget for FY2006 is $15,625,419, which represents an increase of $1,249,410 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values and an increase in carryover funds from prior years as…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering information to improve identification of flooding risks and to evaluate stormwater improvements for the Peck Sink watershed in Hernando County.The District is asking for help from residents with identifying local flood risks and stormwater issues. If residents have any knowledge of flooding and/or stormwater issues in the area (experiences or photos) or have any…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness…

_More than 272,000 acres of dense seagrass digitally mapped_The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently completed a seagrass mapping project to monitor the long-term health of seagrass beds along the Springs Coast. The project involved digitally mapping more than 525,000 acres of submerged land from the mouth of the Anclote River near Tarpon Springs to the mouth of the Withlacoochee River. Seagrass generally grows in waters less than 14 feet deep and is an…