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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has deactivated the Tampa Bypass Canal System and the Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (HFDA) as water levels in the Hillsborough River have declined following Tropical Storm Debby.The District opened Structure S-155 over the weekend and the boat barriers are being removed today, restoring navigation on the Hillsborough River. The S-155 structure is located north of Morris Bridge Road and east of I-75 and can…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project that could replenish the Floridan aquifer by up to two to three million gallons of water per day (mgd).The project involves the development of an alternative water supply at CF Industry’s South Pasture mine, located in Hardee County. The plan is to capture excess surface water and storm water at the mine and route it through a constructed wetlands treatment area, and then to a sand…

The "Central Florida Water Initiative's":http://cfwiwater.com/ (CFWI) Steering Committee has released two updated draft documents that will set a path forward for meeting water supply needs in central Florida for the next 20 years.During several public meetings over the summer, the public was invited to learn about and comment on the draft 2035 Water Resources Protection and Water Supply Strategies Plan (Solutions Plan) and minor changes to the draft 2015 Regional Water…

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staffWhat: The District is installing a pump and pipes at the Morris Bridge Sink. The pump system will allow the District to test to see if it is feasible to pump water from the sink to augment the Hillsborough River. In addition, the water pumped from the sink will be made available to Tampa Bay Water as a water supply source.When: Friday, April 3, 10 a.m.Where: Morris Bridge Sink, just east of I-75 and the Tampa Bypass…

At its August 3 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.400 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $38,655,311, which is an increase of $6,614,869 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to ad valorem tax revenue from increased property values and revenue from the state’s newly created Water…

Water Management on the Move A cooperative project between Pinellas County and the District has restored the natural flow of water between two back bays at Fort DeSoto Park near the mouth of Tampa Bay. Restoring the circulation will help improve water quality and habitats in the estuary. When the park was being developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s, a dredge-and-fill project connected a series of small mangrove islands from the mainland to a barrier…

  H. Paul Senft Jr., Governing Board Chair This edition of WaterMatters Magazine celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Created in 1961 through legislative action to serve as the local sponsor for a series of federal flood control projects, the District’s responsibilities have grown dramatically over time. Recognizing that our water resources — our coasts, rivers,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us and the "City of St. Petersburg(St. Petersburg)":http://www.stpete.org are offering city water customers a free sprinkler system checkup.City of St. Petersburg water customers who have an operating in-ground sprinkler system with a timer are eligible for the free program. Customers who irrigate with reclaimed, well or drinking water can apply for the…

 The Gilley Creek Tract protects the main branch of Gilley Creek, which is one of the main tributaries of the Manatee River. The creek flows into Lake Manatee, which serves as the primary drinking water source for Manatee County.Formerly a cattle ranch and farm with row crops that had been converted to pasture, hardwood hammocks are still found along the creek channels and wetlands. Undisturbed areas of native habitats thrive in a natural condition, with regular…

On Tuesday, the "Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ adopted a FY2014-15 millage rate of 0.3658 mill, four percent lower than the current fiscal year. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $36.58 a year, or about $3.05 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2014, through Sept. 30, 2015. The total FY2014-15 budget for the District…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activationSouthwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine and raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2 at 8 a.m. this morning. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency weather event.Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine has the potential to bring significant rainfall…

State Sen. J.D. Alexander presented the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board with a ceremonial check for $15 million for the District’s West-Central Florida Water Restoration Action Plan (WRAP.)Gov. Charlie Crist included WRAP in his budget request to the Legislature and Sen. Alexander and Rep. Bill Galvano carried the budget request successfully through the legislative process.“Without the support of the Governor, Senator Alexander…

Discovering the District Members of the District’s Peace River Basin Board and District staff recently toured the Lake Placid wastewater treatment facility and saw firsthand where the town’s first reclaimed water lines will be installed. The District approved funding for this cooperative project between the District and the town of Lake Placid, which will ensure beneficial use of the town’s wastewater. The project is intended to supply highly treated wastewater for…

 Community leaders flip the switch on the new phase of the pipeline project. The Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority has completed another connection in its regional loop system, which greatly benefits the City of Punta Gorda. The agency recently dedicated the completion of the Phase 1A Interconnect Pipeline Project. The project spans the Peace River and includes nine miles of pipeline, a high-service pump station, and water storage to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved minimum and guidance levels for six lakes in Pasco County.A minimum level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving a balance between meeting human water needs and those of Florida’s natural systems.Guidance levels are used to describe expected…

At its August 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.240 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $6,713,164 which is an increase of $2,151,447 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values and revenue from the state’s newly created Water Protection and Sustainability Program…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday concurred with an executive order issued earlier this month allowing Tampa Bay Water to augment the Hillsborough River Reservoir with water from the middle pool of the Tampa Bypass Canal.The Hillsborough River Reservoir is the City of Tampa’s main resource for providing potable water to approximately 520,000 residents. As of May 4, the reservoir was at 18.5 feet, a level that is normally…

Blog note: Projects and Partners is a WaterMatters Blog series that highlights various innovative projects of the District and its partners to benefit the community and water resources. They came from countries across the globe with one common mission…water.  The District recently hosted students from nearly two dozen countries to discuss water policy. The session, held at Crystal Springs Preserve, was part of the United Nations…

Governing Board member Todd Pressman recently attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the City of Oldsmar’s reverse osmosis treatment plant. In 1998, the District provided financial support to the City of Oldsmar to investigate various alternative water supply projects so that it could reduce the water quantities imported from regional wellfields via Pinellas County Utilities and the City of St. Petersburg. The goal was to become self-sufficient in providing potable…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board recently approved minimum flows (or MFLs) for both the Rainbow River and the Crystal River/Kings Bay systems. A minimum flow is the limit at which withdrawals will cause significant harm. Some recent guest editorials and letters have suggested the water management district arbitrarily sets these limits and offers a "blank check" to pump unlimited amounts of water out of the aquifer. In fact, MFLs are an…