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The District is hosting a public meeting 5 p.m. April 16 to provide information and get feedback on the Weeki Wachee Channel Restoration Project. The purpose of this multi-year project is to evaluate accumulated sediments in the river and identify where future removal of sediments will benefit the river’s ecosystem…

Seven springs restoration projects in Citrus and Hernando Counties will receive $12 million in state funding from Legacy Florida through the department’s Division of Water Restoration Assistance program. This funding is expected to leverage nearly $3 million in matching funds for a total of $15 million. The District’s projects are part of 35 springs projects across the state to receive more than $56.6 million  included in the 2016-17 “FLORIDA FIRST” budget,…

More than 300 volunteers broke a record last weekend at the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Project when they planted 40,000 plugs of marsh grass, making it the largest installation of marsh plants in Tampa Bay.  The event was a collaboration between the District’s SWIM program and Tampa Bay Watch, Hillsborough County and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  “In just an hour, this has gone from looking like a desert to all this green. It’s amazing…

Surrounding the crystal waters of Three Sisters Springs, visitors can easily spot exposed tree roots and an eroded shoreline. The erosion has caused sediments to enter spring vents and trees to collapse. It has meant a loss of habitat and dangerous conditions for visitors. That’s why the District will be restoring the shoreline around Three Sisters Springs. The project will start this month, and the District will host a meeting at Crystal River’s City Hall at 5:30 p.m…

Minimizing flood risks is an important part of the mission of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District). The District and local governments work together to minimize flooding impacts, protect personal property and assist flood victims during and after storm events. Learn more about those efforts below, and click the tiles for Frequently Asked Questions related to flooding or who to contact when flooding. 

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing and Basin Board members and staff, hundreds of volunteersWhat:District volunteers awards presentation, exhibits, picnic lunch and nature hike. Speakers include Governing Board chair, Heidi McCree; and Martha Garcia, Tampa Bay Watch environmental scientist.When:Saturday, April 8, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The award ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m.Where:Green…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted its proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rates for the General Fund and the seven Basin Boards.The Governing Board adopted a proposed FY2010 millage rate of 0.3866 mill for the District’s General Fund, which is the same as the current fiscal year. FY2010 will run from Oct. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010.The total proposed FY2010 budget for the District is $299.9 million, 20.33…

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…

Most District Basin Boards Propose Lower FY2011 Budgets At their June meetings, the District’s Basin Boards proposed FY2011 millage rates that are equal to or lower than the FY2010 rates, resulting in ad valorem revenue of $58.5 million, $9.7 million lower than FY2010. The Pinellas-Anclote River and Hillsborough River basin boards reduced their proposed millage rates for FY2011, while the remaining Basin Boards left millage rates unchanged. With the…

Nature enthusiasts who visit the District’s Potts Preserve from late July through October should keep an eye out for a rare orchid first discovered on this Citrus County land. Joel DeAngelis, a District senior land management specialist, discovered the orchid in October growing in the open grassland of Potts Preserve. DeAngelis brought Paul M. Brown, a research associate with the University of Florida Herbarium, to the site in November. “When Paul saw it, he…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District issued a water shortage emergency order for the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to protect the drinking water supply for more than 250,000 residents.The executive order signed Friday will allow the Authority to use its two existing aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wellfields to pump groundwater once the treated water being stored in the wellfields is depleted.As of Jan. 7, the Authority had a total of 609…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David Moore signed a water shortage emergency order last week allowing Tampa Bay Water to withdraw up to 7.1 million gallons per day (mgd) of water from the Morris Bridge Sink to help meet the potable water demand of its member governments.Tampa Bay Water provides water to Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, as well as the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa.Ongoing drought conditions have…

IT Professionals Day, which is Sept. 17, is meant to recognize the technical experts that make sure computer systems and other digital functions run smoothly. At the…

When residents set their clocks back one hour this weekend, the Southwest Florida Water Management District would like them to also check the timers on their irrigation system controllers.The time change is a good reminder to make sure your irrigation system timer is set correctly so you do not run the risk of receiving a water restriction citation because your system was set incorrectly.All 16 counties within the District are under one-day-per-week lawn watering…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District extended an emergency authorization allowing the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (Authority) to utilize its existing Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wellfields for the temporary production of ground water to meet regional demand.The emergency order, which was slated to expire July 1, has been extended to Aug. 1, 2008. It must also be temporarily suspended any time the Authority is able to meet demand…