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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

10-year project scheduled for completion in OctoberThe Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting the media to tour the restored lake and spoil disposal area of the Lake Panasoffkee restoration project on Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 from 9 a.m. to noon.The $26.9 million project was designed to restore Lake Panasoffkee’s historic fish bedding areas, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation of the third largest lake in west-central Florida. When…

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…

Governor Rick Scott appointed Mark Taylor, Michelle Williamson and re-appointed Bryan Beswick to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board. Taylor represents Hernando and Marion Counties, Williamson represents Hillsborough County and Beswick represents Desoto, Hardee and Highlands Counties. Beswick, 49, of Arcadia, is a grove manager with Premier Citrus Management LLC. Beswick received his bachelor's degree from Florida Southern College. He is…

Eugene Schiller, the District’s deputy executive director of the Division of Management Services, has been selected to serve a two-year term on the Department of the Interior’s National Geospatial Advisory Committee. Schiller was appointed by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne to represent regional government. “I am honored to be selected to serve on this committee,” said Schiller. “The District has been recognized nationally for its…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 5:30 p.m. at the District’s Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed reevaluation of minimum levels for 41 wetlands in the Northern Tampa Bay Water Use Caution Area. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed…

The Communications Department recently won state-level awards from the Florida Public Relations Association for two District campaigns. The “Skip a Week” public service advertising campaign received an Award of Distinction in the Public Relations Programs — Public Service category, and the “Get Outside!” campaign received an Award of Distinction in the Public Relations Programs — Institutional category of the association’s Golden Image Awards competition. The…

Clockwise from above: Terese Power, staff engineer, uses a watershed model to show how pollution works its way into rivers and lakes. Jason LaRoche, professional geologist, shows kids that “geology rocks.” Chris Barnes, student intern, demonstrates water quality field testing. Shannon Maynard, chemist, helps a student mix up a chemistry demonstration. Nearly 120 children learned about District jobs April 22 at the District’s 14th annual celebration of Take Our…

Governor Rick Scott reappointed Jeffrey M. Adams and Ed Armstrong and appointed Scott Wiggins to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board. Adams and Armstrong represent Pinellas County and Wiggins represents Hillsborough County. Adams, of St. Petersburg, is board chairman and an attorney and partner with Abbey, Adams, LLP. He received his bachelor’s degree from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma and earned a Juris Doctor from…