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The Marion County Spring Festival will be more “Florida-friendly” because of the addition of a water conservation restroom station. The Southwest Florida Water Management District is bringing the water conservation restroom station to the event, which is being held Mar. 11-12 at the Extension Service Office in Marion County.This festival, which is expected to attract approximately 15,000 people, includes workshops, exhibits, and a plant sale. Workshop topics…

July 2024Q: What is an aquifer?A: An aquifer is a body of underground rock and/or sediment that stores water. The groundwater within an aquifer can fill the spaces between grains of sand and gravel, or it can fill the cracks and fissures in solid rock.Q: Are there different types of aquifers?A: In west-central Florida the groundwater system is comprised of three main aquifer units; the surficial aquifer, the…

 Learn about current District water restrictions, or view local government water restrictions contact information.

Pledge to conserve during one of the driest months of the year The Southwest Florida Water Management District is urging residents to join their family and friends in pledging to conserve water during the state's annual Water Conservation Month in April. Each year local governments and water management districts throughout the state declare April as Water Conservation Month…

July 2025Q: What is a prescribed burn?A: A prescribed burn, also known as a prescribed fire, is a fire intentionally ignited by land managers to meet specific land management goals and objectives. The burns follow a written prescription, which outlines the defined fire treatment area, specific weather parameters that are required to meet the objectives, the tactics staff will use, and the staffing and equipment resources that are required to…

Above-normal rainfall during the summer rainy season has brought significant improvement to water resources not seen in more than seven years in the Southwest Florida Water Management District's region.Many of the District's lakes, rivers and aquifers have recovered after a four-year drought which started in 2005. Rainfall totals from the four-month rainy season show above normal averages across the District."This summer was a drought breaker for us," said Granville Kinsman…

The Mini-FARMS Program promotes agricultural water quality and water quantity best management practices (BMPs) and provides overall water resource benefits to agriculture properties. The Mini-FARMS Program works with and provides a mechanism for enrollment in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) adopted agricultural BMPs program, through a Notice of Intent (NOI) to implement BMPs. Through the Mini-FARMS Program, the District will reimburse…

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,…

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Water Conservation Month. This month is traditionally one of the driest of the year and peak demand season for public water suppliers. The District works with our local government partners to share the importance of water conservation and to increase efforts to conserve water.  Thanks to all our partners who joined the District in proclaiming April as Water Conservation Month. The following local governments and partners…

The District’s Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.) is being noticed throughout the southeast for its success. Governing Board member Watson Haynes II and Melissa Roe, a District senior communications coordinator, will represent the District when they accept a Gulf Guardian Award in Corpus Christi, Texas. Water C.H.A.M.P. received second place among government programs that help protect the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Guardian Awards are…

Many of the tips the District promotes for Water Conservation Month can be found in use at its own campuses.For example, District-owned offices in Tampa and Brooksville have water-efficient toilets, water monitoring systems and rain sensors and follow Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ guidelines.Each campus is equipped with low-flow toilets, urinals and faucets. Typically, the low flow toilets save three or more gallons a flush compared to older models. The low-flow bathroom…

To help achieve its mission, the District promotes behaviors that conserve and protect water resources. Social research can provide information that helps staff design programs that more effectively lead to sustainable behaviors.Not only can social research be used for designing more effective programs, but it can also be used for evaluating those programs. A survey conducted before an educational campaign, for instance, can set a benchmark for what people know, believe and…

With the holiday season upon us, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is asking residents to make water conservation a family tradition."This holiday season it is especially important to conserve water because it's extremely dry and we're expecting these dry conditions to continue through next spring," said Robyn Felix, the District's media relations manager. "We can all make a difference by incorporating a few…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will use a water conservation restroom trailer to spread the word about water conservation this year at the Florida State Fair, February 10-21.“Special events like the Florida State Fair allow us to bring our water conservation message to a wide audience,” said Beth Bartos, communications manager for the District. “Thousands of people will be exposed to our message each day.”The trailer features air…

With the holiday season upon us, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is asking residents to make water conservation a new tradition.“This holiday season it is especially important to conserve water because the District is still experiencing impacts from two years of drought and we are now in the dry season,” said Robyn Felix, the District’s media relations manager. “We can all make a difference by incorporating a few simple tips into our…

Focus Groups Focus groups are interviews, conducted by a trained moderator, among a small group of respondents. The interview is conducted in an unstructured and natural way where respondents are free to give views from any aspect. The District uses focus groups to acquire feedback regarding attitudes, behaviors and knowledge about water conservation and water quality. Focus groups have also provided valuable feedback for educational and campaign messages.  …