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The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday unanimously approved the fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) budget and reduced millage rates. The total FY2008 budget for the District is $395 million, which is an $11.7 million increase over the FY2007 budget of $383.3 million. $1.4 million of the budget increase is due to additional ad valorem tax revenue. The balance of the increase includes additional state funding, interest earnings and balances available… Read more

Water supply refers to the source and process of providing water to different users. The “source” refers to where the water comes from. Sources of natural fresh water may include groundwater or surface waters, such as lakes, rivers, ponds or streams. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, surface water was the largest source of fresh water in Florida until 1980. After 1980, groundwater became… Read more

  Cockroach Bay before and after (top right) restoration.                   Gazing from atop the crest of “Mount Cockroach,” visitors were treated to the views of lush wetlands, uplands and coastal habitats of Cockroach Bay. They saw birds and other wildlife freely roam through the flourishing vegetation that surrounded the calm waters. But the distant view of city… Read more

At its June 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.2308 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Withlacoochee River Basin Board area covers portions of Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion, Pasco and Sumter counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraisers, will… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted proposed Fiscal Year 2007 (FY2007) millage rates. The District’s proposed millage rate remains the same as last year for the District’s General Fund. The proposed millage rates for seven District Basin Boards also remain the same. The Coastal Rivers Basin Board lowered its millage rate.The eight Basin Boards will meet in August to adopt their final FY2007 millage rates. The final millage rates… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 millage rates. The District’s proposed millage rate remains the same as last year for the District’s General Fund. The proposed millage rates for eight District Basin Boards also remain the same.The eight Basin Boards will meet in August to adopt their final FY2006 millage rates. The final millage rates may decrease from the proposed amounts adopted, but by law… Read more

At its June 12 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2308 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Withlacoochee River Basin Board area covers portions of Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Marion, and Levy counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraisers, will… Read more

In the Bathroom:

• Flush less — remember the toilet is not an ashtray or wastebasket.
• While brushing teeth, shaving, etc., turn off the water.
• When cold water will do, avoid using hot water.
• Take shorter showers — 5 minutes or less.
• In the shower, wet yourself down, turn the water off, lather up, then turn the water on to rinse off soap.
• Use less water for bathing — close the drain first and fill tub only one…

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Phyllis Young, senior administrative assistant, gives barbecue customers service with a smile. Clyde Sesler cooks up some mouth-watering chicken and ribs. Frances Sesler, senior administrative assistant, serves Lou Kavouras, executive coordinator, during a recent barbecue fundraiser. Displaying the afghan being auctioned to raise funds for the Relay for Life are (from left): Phyllis Young, senior administrative assistant; Frances Sesler, senior administrative… Read more

We All Live in a Watershed Land is very important to the water cycle and shares a strong connection to our water resources. Did you know that everything we do on land can affect the health of our water? That is because we all live in a watershed! A watershed is any area of land that water flows across or through. Where is the water going? Downhill of course. Water in a watershed trickles and flows toward a common body of… Read more

In recent years the number of people living in the Alafia River watershed has increased dramatically. An increase in population causes a greater demand on water resources and a reduction in the amount of wildlife habitat. Efforts have been made to meet the increased demands for water and to restore and protect natural ecosystems within the watershed. Reservoir The C.W. “Bill” Young Regional Reservoir is located in the Alafia River watershed. It can store 15 billion… Read more

Land is very important to the water cycle. A WATERSHED is any area of land that water flows across or through. Where is the water going? Downhill of course. Water in a watershed trickles and flows toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or coast. Watersheds can be big or small, but they usually have high points (like ridges) as their upper boundaries. So watersheds capture water, store it… Read more

From left: Sammy Malone, WYME Trailblazers; Fritz Musselmann. land resources director; Merrill Firmani and Elizabeth Shupe, South Creek Equestrian Riders. Two young adults, two campground hosts and an equestrian group who participate in the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program have been recognized by the President of the United States. These volunteers received the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the January Governing Board meeting. The award,… Read more

Florida’s coastal ecosystems are among the most diverse in the world. At the heart of these ecosystems is seagrass—a vital underwater plant that supports marine life, improves water quality, protects shorelines and stores carbon.Since 1988, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has mapped seagrass to help guide decisions that protect and sustain our bays, estuaries and coastal waters. But how exactly is seagrass mapped and why is it important? The… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted the agency’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 millage rates and combined budget. The District’s millage rate remains the same as last year for the General Fund. The millage rates for the eight District Basin Boards also remain the same. FY2006 will run from Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006.Downloadsample projects by… Read more

On Tuesday, May 24, Heidi B. McCree was selected by unanimous vote as the first female Governing Board chair in the 44-year history of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.“I want to thank the Board for this honor and look forward to carrying on an important legacy,” McCree said. “We have achieved great things in west-central Florida, but there are many challenges yet to face to ensure an environmentally sustainable water resource. The keys will be maintaining our… Read more

The majority of the freshwater supply in west-central Florida comes from groundwater, most commonly the Floridan aquifer system. The Floridan aquifer system contains the largest aquifers within the state and stretches 100,000 square miles beneath Florida and parts of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. The Floridan aquifer system has been divided into the Upper Floridan aquifer and Lower Floridan aquifers. Between the aquifers are… Read more