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Water Use Permit Bureau Chief As bureau chief of the Water Use Permit Program, Darrin Herbst is responsible for overseeing water use permit evaluation, water use permit compliance, well construction permitting, and demand management. Herbst began his career at the District in 2001 as a professional geologist. He has served as manager of Water Use Regulation and senior professional geologist in the Tampa Regulation Service Office. Herbst is a licensed professional… Read more

On a crisp November morning, District staff and members of the Alafia River Basin Board launched four canoes into the Alafia River. The basin includes the southern half of Hillsborough County and the southwestern portion of Polk County. The Basin Board members set out to experience the river — the most important part of the basin — and to talk with some concerned citizens who live along the river. The canoe trip took place along part of the 13-mile portion of the… Read more

A group of kayakers armed with gloves and garbage bags launched their vessels from the Clam Bayou Nature Park. The volunteers, led by Kurt Zuelsdorf, were on a mission to collect trash from the mangrove-lined Clam Bayou. Zuelsdorf was able to bring together this eco-minded band of volunteers through a District Community Education Grant he applied for and received this spring. The $3,512 grant was used to pay for the volunteers’ kayak rentals, trash bags and equipment… Read more

Addressing Drainage Complaints and IssuesAre you experiencing flooding or drainage not caused by a storm event? Confused about which government agency to reach out to for help? Use this reference guide to find out who to contact. Contact the Southwest Florida Water Management District for drainage complaints or issues related to:

• Stormwater management systems (i.e. retention ponds, swales, etc.) in District-…

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Plants are very important to watersheds. Why? They make water behave differently than it does when the land is bare.

• Plants keep water from washing the soil away. Their roots hold dirt together, and their leaves and branches stop heavy rain from hitting the soil directly.
• Land with a lot of plants growing on it will hold water longer and release it slowly. That helps prevent destructive floods.
• Plants also…

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Two officers of the District Governing Board are stepping up to new leadership roles, and two Board members are serving their first terms as officers. The District Governing Board unanimously elected Ronald E. Oakley to serve as Governing Board chair during its May meeting. Oakley served as the Board treasurer and vice chair before his election as chair. “I’m excited to continue to work to protect our natural resources, and I’m humbled that the Board would place so… Read more

As assistant executive director, Mandi Rice oversees the day-to-day operations of the District’s five divisions: Resource Management, Regulation, Business & IT Services, Employee, Outreach & General Services, and Operations, Lands & Resource Monitoring.Before joining the District, Rice worked at Tampa Bay Water, Florida’s largest wholesale water supplier, for 18 years in various positions including project manager, senior manager of construction and, most… Read more

 Peace River Challenges and RestorationNatural factors, such as the geology of the region and rainfall, contribute to the amount of water recharging the Upper Floridan aquifer and surface water bodies in the area as do human influences, such as groundwater use. There have also been substantial changes to the Peace River watershed over the past 150-200 years, including the clearing, draining and re-contouring of lands for phosphate mining, agriculture… Read more

For Mark Brown, environmental science is more than just a career. It is his personal interest. Brown spent part of his childhood growing up on a farm in Georgia. Influenced by his grandfather, who was a soil conservationist for the USDA Soil Conservation Service, Brown developed his interest in natural habitat protection and restoration early on. When his family spent summer vacations in Florida, he became interested in the wide variety of natural ecosystems in the… Read more

The Springs Coast Watershed features one of the largest and most spectacular expanses of salt and brackish marshes found in Florida. Four of the five springs groups in the watershed discharge directly into the Gulf of America in a region that is the second largest seagrass area in the continental United States. With an estimated 700,000 acres — the size of more than 530,000 football fields — the Springs Coast seagrass area is one of the largest seagrass areas in the world.As… Read more

Your Questions AnsweredNovember 2021Florida has the largest concentration of springs in the world, with more than 200 springs within the boundaries of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These natural wonders rely on rainfall to replenish their water source, and Dr. Madison Trowbridge explains how the rainy season provides big benefits for Florida’s springs.Q: What is spring flow?A: Spring flow is the amount of water that… Read more

Seek the Leak Did you know that even a small leak can waste 300 or more gallons of water per month? Check for the following leaks outdoors: Water Faucets, Hoses and Connectors Check all faucets, hoses and connectors periodically for leaks and to make sure they are in good working order. Make sure faucets are closed when not in use. If you do find a leaky faucet, change the washer — after turning off the shutoff valve. Automatic Lawn and Sprinkling Systems Soft… Read more

When it rains it pours in Florida, and when it pours, the water that runs off your yard might be polluted. How? Oil on your driveway, too much fertilizer on your lawn, even doggie do — they all can pollute rainwater. If those types of pollution are allowed to run off, they can end up causing problems in your watershed. They might also end up sinking down and polluting the ground water. Make Every Raindrop Count! A well-designed, Florida-friendly yard will soak up the… Read more

Regular irrigation maintenance is important to reduce water waste and help create a healthy environment for your landscape. Look for Broken or Misdirected Sprinkler Heads Sprinkler heads can accidently be knocked during lawn maintenance or from a passerby. Look for these signs of a broken or misdirected sprinkler head.

• Water is shooting into the air or not spraying correctly. 
• Water is pooling around the base of a sprinkler head. 
• …

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 Our journey along the Withlacoochee River begins in the cypress domes and forested wetlands of the Green Swamp. Four rivers emerge from this large oasis between Tampa and Orlando. It is an area of ecological and hydrologic importance because of its ability to store surface water and slow floodwaters while sustaining flow to multiple rivers and streams. The Green Swamp also supplies water to the aquifer, which isn’t too far below the land’s surface in… Read more

Hog hunters from Hernando County (left to right) Wade Jenkins, Jason Bibeau and Chris Bibeau. District land managers say a series of hog hunts held on District lands this winter and spring helped reduce the wild hog population. Hundreds of hogs were removed from seven different tracts of land throughout the District. The District opened the land for hunting because wild hogs cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. Wild hogs, which are not native to… Read more

As the District’s General Counsel, Chris Tumminia provides advice and counsel to the District’s Governing Board, executive director and District staff regarding matters of law and policy. His primary areas of practice have included civil and administrative litigation, water use permitting, minimum flows and levels, and water supply planning. Tumminia also has represented the District in numerous proceedings before the State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings,… Read more

People who live next to water are lucky. Waterfront property is usually very expensive because we love to see the ocean, a lake or a river from our houses. Florida has a lot of water, so there are plenty of waterfront yards. Some yards are right next to the ocean, a big lake or a coastal lagoon. Some have canals that connect to the ocean or lakes. Others are along rivers, creeks, natural ponds or wetlands. Some yards include seasonal ponds, and many more are next to… Read more

A watershed is an area of land that water flows across as it moves toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or coast. Watersheds are defined by the way water flows across the land and are shaped by features and elevations on the surface of the land.The Withlacoochee River watershed covers approximately 2,100 square miles within eight counties — Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Pasco, Polk and Sumter.… Read more