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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

 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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…