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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 (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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Jack Bispham and Seth Weightman to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Bispham represents Manatee County and Weightman represents Pasco County. Bispham, of Myakka City, is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Florida. Bispham is appointed to a four-year term. Weightman, of Dade City, is municipal services manager with…

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…

Five Sarasota County projects expected to reach more than 7,000 people were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants provide up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 38 grants Districtwide for a total of $136,598. This is the 11th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) and City of Crystal River will hold a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the completion of the project to transport reclaimed water from the City to the Duke Energy power plant in Citrus County.The event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. at the City of Crystal River Sprayfield, located at 7040 N. Citrus Ave. in Crystal River. The entrance is approximately five miles…

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Michelle Williamson and Ashley Bell Barnett to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board. Williamson represents Hillsborough County and Bell Barnett represents Polk County. Williamson, of Dover, is the Manager of G&F Farms. She earned her associate degree in business administration and management from Hillsborough Community College. Williamson is appointed to a four-year term. Bell Barnett, of Winter…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday concurred with 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 Authority’s ASR wellfields are normally used to store excess treated surface water from its permitted Peace River withdrawals for later…

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Roger Germann and reappointed Kelly Rice to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Germann represents Hillsborough County and Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties. Germann, of Tampa, is the president and chief executive officer of The Florida Aquarium. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois. Germann is appointed to a four-year term. Rice, of Webster, is the owner of…

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…

Who: Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council members, Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board members and staffWhat: The Council and the District will mark the completion of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration project.When: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 10 a.m.Where: Coleman LandingWhy: The $28.3 million project was completed in November 2008. The 10-year project was designed to restore Lake Panasoffkee’s historic fish bedding areas, restore the historic lake…