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Atop Hillsborough County’s newest “mountain,” visitors got a glimpse of the largest coastal restoration project ever performed for Tampa Bay. Community leaders helped the District dedicate the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project during a ceremony Wednesday. Located just north of the Manatee County line in Ruskin, the project will create coastal habitats and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board recognized Tony Gilboy, the District’s well construction regulation manager, today for the award he received from the Florida Ground Water Association (FGWA) for his outstanding service to the association.The award was presented to Gilboy at the recent FGWA Convention and Trade Show in Orlando.Gilboy was honored for his outstanding contributions to the well industry. His contributions include the…

Who:Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board, the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program, Tampa Electric Company, Protecting the Environment through Ecological Research (PEER,) the Pinellas County Environmental Fund and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)What:Volunteers will participate in planting 6,000 marsh grass and upland plants before a tree planting…

 Sallie Parks, Governing Board member, collects samples from Brooker Creek. Governing Board member Sallie Parks is a “hands-on” person when it comes to water resources. Parks’ dedication to the environment was clear during a Watershed Leadership Program held at the Brooker Creek Preserve. The education section of the Pinellas County Environmental Lands Division developed the Watershed Leadership Program to help decision-makers and elected officials…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Executive Director Brian Armstrong has received the Florida Association for Water Quality Control (FAWQC) 2022 Wade Hopping Leadership Award. Named for a true leader and pioneer in the development of Florida water policy, the award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding professional who oversees policies and/or personnel in the area of water resources and is dedicated to managing, improving, and protecting…

A project cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County will reduce flooding near Stearns Creek and Lithia-Pinecrest Road and improve water quality entering the Alafia River.The first phase of the project will be to complete a hydrologic analysis that will determine the current drainage patterns of the area. The analysis will enable the project designers to determine the proper size culverts to use and how to best route the…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District Basin Board members and staff; Mike Hickman, Hickman Homes, Inc. president; and the Polk County Builders AssociationWhat: The District will celebrate the completion of a Florida Water StarSM Gold (FWSG) certified home that will be featured in the Polk County Parade of Homes. The fall Parade of Homes is Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25.FWSG is a certification program for builders and developers. The program encourages water…

Members of Gulfport’s Kayak Nature Adventures Paddle Club loaded their boats and headed to Citrus County for a trek into the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area. Their quarry: cans and bottles, bags and cups — anything floating or washed up onshore. Kurt Zuelsdorf led the group of volunteers on its mission to clean up hard-to-reach areas along the Weeki Wachee River, with the permission of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). “We were…

WhoPasco County teachers and students who received Splash! mini-grants; Laura Hill, Pasco County instructional supervisor; and Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Youth Education staffWhatThe District is holding its annual sharing day for recipients of its Splash! mini-grants in Pasco County. District Youth Education staff and Pasco County’s Instructional Supervisor will visit five sites throughout the day. Each class will showcase their water…

Representative Mike Grant presented the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board with a ceremonial check for $15 million for the District’s West-Central Florida Water Restoration Action Plan (WRAP.)Gov. Charlie Crist included WRAP in his 2008-09 budget request to the Legislature. Rep. Grant is a strong advocate for WRAP and helped secure support among House members, which led to inclusion of WRAP in the state’s budget.“…

Left: Joel DeAngelis, senior land management specialist, shows volunteers Porgy Smith and Ellen Puckett how to remove the invasive plants. Top right: Samantha DeVary, volunteer, shows how small some of the invasive plants can be. Bottom right: Joel DeAngelis shows volunteers the area where they will be removing invasive plants. An invasive plant species, green wandering jew, was beginning to get a foothold at the District’s Panasoffkee Outlet property in Sumter…

Jack Pepper, deputy general counsel, is presented with the District’s first Shining Star award by Bill Bilenky, general counsel; Tammy Antoine, water conservation analyst and Employee Committee chair; and Pamela Baldwin, senior human resources generalist. Jack Pepper, a District deputy general counsel, gleamed as the Employee Committee and fellow coworkers presented him with the first Shining Star award, a new recognition program recently…

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…

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…

"Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ Executive Director "David L. Moore(David L. Moore Bio)":/about/staff/moore.php resigned today but has offered to continue temporarily in the role to help facilitate the successful transition of the next executive director.Moore, who was appointed executive director in March 2003, says he feels he is leaving the District at the right time."The past eight years have been extremely…

Employee committee members Audra Owens-Powell, senior human resources specialist; Yassert Gonzalez, economist; Tammy Antoine, water conservation analyst; Chan Springstead, planner; Cindy Ortiz, senior administrative assistant; Josie Guillen, administrative assistant 2; and Darlene Johnson, senior administrative assistant, with the gifts for the children of the “adopted families.” For the thirteenth year, District employees have helped make the holidays brighter…

Electronic Innovation Testing is complete! The District is now offering the opportunity for permit holders to submit required data conditions over the Internet. A few years ago, the District asked permit holders if there was an interest in doing away with the current forms and submitting data online. The answer was a resounding “YES.” Permit holders also told the District about specific needs and wants with an online system and staff developers successfully…

 Forty-four volunteers recently combed the Tampa Bay shoreline and adjacent upland habitats associated with the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project to pick up trash. The volunteers came together for “Give a Day for the Bay” one of …

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…