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Above, plantings at the Tampa office are beyond the building eaves, requiring less irrigation.  Below, fixture supply lines are required to be reinforced. As in most District offices, water-saving fixtures are used.  The Tampa Service Office campus has the first water management district building to be certified under the Florida Water StarSM commercial standard. It’s also only the second government building in the state to be certified…

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…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently signed an agreement with Pinellas County for a project to improve water quality and restore habitat in Sutherland Bayou.Pop Stansell Park is a 4.5-acre park that sits on Sutherland Bayou. Approximately 57,000 people visit the park each year, which is also used for marine access to St Joseph Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. Years of unrestricted public access as a launching point for boating, canoeing, kayaking and…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

  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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

A cooperative project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will treat stormwater runoff in the Hillsborough River State Park.Located in Hillsborough County, the well-known park was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corp. The park opened in 1938 and was one of Florida’s first state parks.The goal of this multi-phased project is to treat stormwater runoff from several parking lots before…