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This project restored natural coastal habitats and treats stormwater runoff to improve the water quality and natural systems of Clam Bayou. Property Information Clam Bayou is a 170-acre estuary in Pinellas County. It is surrounded by the cities of Gulfport to the west, St. Petersburg to the north and east, and Boca Ciega Bay to the south. Approximately 127 acres of Clam Bayou are publicly owned. Project Background Until the 1920s, Clam Bayou was relatively… Read more

As the weather gets cooler, now is the time for Floridians to get outside and enjoy a variety of recreational activities. Each issue of WaterMatters features a different District property ready for you to explore. These public lands are close to home and are free or very inexpensive to use. This issue features the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve (Preserve) in Hillsborough County. The 16,000-acre Preserve… Read more

  The drowning of thousands of chickens at several Masaryktown chicken farms was one of the catalysts for the creation of the District. From devastating flooding caused by hurricanes to severe droughts to an unprecedented freeze, major weather events have played an important role in shaping the District’s policies and procedures during the last 50 years… Read more

Left: Bruce Wirth, a District deputy executive director; Sallie Parks, Governing Board member and co-chair ex offico of the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board; and Cheryl Johnson, secretary of the Alafia River Basin Board, helped plant a tree to celebrate the completion of the restoration project. Center: Dozens of volunteers planted marsh grass to help complete the restoration project. Right: Many volunteers brought their children to help at the volunteer planting.… Read more

The Peace River gets its fresh water from rainfall. Annual rainfall averages approximately 53 inches, with more than half occurring between June and September. Most of the rainwater reenters the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. The rest recharges the aquifer or runs off into the Peace River and its tributary streams. The river is primarily a blackwater river. This type of river drains pine flatwoods and cypress swamps and has dark, stained waters… Read more

This project will investigate the recharging of excess surface water, treated to primary drinking water standards, into the Upper Floridan aquifer more than 1,000 feet below the land’s surface. The recharged water has the potential to help improve groundwater levels and reduce the rate of saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of America in the SWUCA’s Most Impacted Area.SWUCA Recovery and Natural System ImprovementIn 2017, the District conducted a feasibility study at… Read more

More than 500 volunteers who spend thousands of hours a year helping the Southwest Florida Water Management District maintain and improve public lands, as well as restore Tampa Bay, were honored this weekend during the District’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day.The celebration was held at the District’s Lake Panasoffkee property and featured an awards presentation, exhibits, live music, a picnic lunch and a nature hike.Approximately 450 volunteers are involved with the… Read more

An Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) is required before beginning any construction activity that would affect wetlands, alter surface water flows, or contribute to water pollution.Environmental Resource PermitsAs authorized by Part IV of… Read more

The Rainbow River in Marion County begins at Rainbow Springs in the town of Dunnellon and makes its way 5.7 miles until it merges with the Withlacoochee River. The Withlacoochee River ultimately discharges into the Gulf of America on the border of Citrus and Levy counties.Rainbow Springs has the fourth largest flow of all Florida’s springs and provides fresh water to the Rainbow and Withlacoochee rivers. The… Read more

The Weeki Wachee Springs Restoration Project improved water quality and enhanced the overall natural system. Project Overview The Southwest Florida Water Management District restored portions of Weeki Wachee Springs in 2009 to improve water quality in the headspring and the upper river, as well as enhance the overall natural system. Background The Weeki Wachee Restoration Project was the second project aimed at cleaning up the springs.  The first project… Read more

 This project improved water quality in the Weeki Wachee River.Project OverviewThe Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hernando County made enhancements to stormwater management at Rogers Park. The park is owned by the County and located on the Weeki Wachee River. These improvements benefit the river by reducing the amount of sediments and nutrients entering the river. Project DetailsThis project uses Low Impact Development (LID) techniques to… Read more

The District establishes Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) to help protect water resources. An MFL is a regulation to protect springs, spring runs, rivers, lakes, wetlands and aquifers from ground and surface water withdrawals that would cause significant harm. OverviewMinimum flows and levels are limits established by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board for surface waters and groundwater that are intended to prevent significant harm… Read more

A reservation defines a quantity of water set aside from the water-use permitting process for the protection of fish and wildlife or public health and safety.OverviewIn 2020, the District established a reservation for water that is stored in Lake Hancock and released to Lower Saddle Creek for recovery of minimum flows in the upper Peace River. A reservation sets aside water from consumptive use (i.e., from being included in a permitted water withdrawal) for the protection of… Read more

Residents and tourists have flocked to the Sarasota Bay region for years due to its remarkable natural beauty. Sarasota Bay is a subtropical estuary with a surface area of approximately 52 square miles. An estuary is a semi-enclosed body of water where fresh water mixes with salt water.The area features outstanding fishing, boating and wildlife viewing. It’s home to a wide variety of marine life, including manatees, mullet, dolphins, spotted sea trout, snook, red drum (… Read more

The District will establish minimum flows for the Withlacoochee river to protect it from harm caused by ground and surface water withdrawals. OverviewMinimum flows and levels are limits established by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board for surface waters and groundwater that are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by water withdrawals. The District is required by… 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.The majority of people in this watershed live within 10 miles from the Gulf of America. This means that many of the activities that take place in the watershed where people live — from maintaining attractive landscapes to creating new roads and buildings — directly impact the gulf and every water body leading up to it. The Southern… Read more

Abnormally dry conditions and the lightning that accompanies summer rains have combined to keep the District’s Land Management staff extremely busy this wildfire season, which typically runs from April through June. Since the beginning of May through the end of July, the District and the Florida Division of Forestry (FDOF) have battled more than 40 fires on District lands, including two that were more than 400 acres each. As of mid-August, wildfires burned 2,076 acres… Read more

This summer the District coordinated restoration efforts on two tracts of District-owned land in Manatee County — the Little Manatee River Southfork Tract and the Edward W. Chance Reserve’s Gilley Creek Tract. Inmates Assist With Restoration Efforts at Gilley Creek Tract  Will VanGelder, District senior land manager, and Greg Taylor, District senior heavy equipment operator, supervised and assisted the inmates who worked on the restoration project. The… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District includes Florida’s notorious “Lightning Belt.” It is famous because of the number of thunderstorms and lightning strikes that occur here. They don’t call the hockey team the “Tampa Bay Lightning” for nothing. Florida’s lightning strikes are thought to be especially powerful, thanks to the huge, highly charged clouds that form here. How powerful are they? Hot bolts have temperatures above 14,000°C. If they hit a tree, it… Read more

Fertilizer is like food for plants. It comes in a variety of forms, like compost, liquids and pellets. For lawns, most people use chemical fertilizers, and a lot of people use too much. If you have grass, you want to use just the right amount of fertilizer so your lawn is healthy. However, more isn’t better! Too much fertilizer can:

1. Make pests more pesty.
2. Cause your lawn to grow too quickly.
3. Make your lawn even thirstier.
…

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