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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 approved minimum and guidance levels for 11 lakes in Citrus, Levy and Sumter counties.Once approved, these levels will become part of the Florida Administrative Code and the District’s rules and will be used as guidelines in District permitting programs, for development of water resource projects, as information for development bordering lakes and in the management of water control structures.The…

A study of Flatford Swamp in Manatee County could lead to a project that could help improve groundwater levels, reduce saltwater intrusion and benefit the 3,000-acre habitat.District staff will conduct a feasibility study to recover groundwater levels by recharging millions of gallons per day of naturally-treated surface water from the swamp into the Upper Floridan aquifer. This is the most impacted area of the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA), a designation given to…

On Friday, February 12, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org will certify the first home in Hernando County to meet the criteria of the "Florida Water StarSM Gold(Florida Water Star Gold)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/florida_water_star_gold program. The District has partnered with Diamond Construction to certify the home in Hernando County's Riverdale neighborhood as part of the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Town of Indian Shores recently signed an agreement to move forward on the fourth phase of a water quality improvement project that will collect and treat stormwater runoff prior to discharging into the Intracoastal Waterway.This phase includes the design, permit and construction of flow-through stormwater treatment systems at five locations. The systems allow storm water to pass through while the solids and heavier…

The third phase of a water quality improvement project that will collect and treat stormwater runoff prior to discharging into the Intracoastal Waterway is about to begin.The project is cooperatively funded between the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board and the Town of Indian Shores.The first two phases involved the construction of 12 improvement areas, or treatment systems. These treatment systems are a combination of dry…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org and the City of St. Petersburg are offering city water customers a free sprinkler system checkup.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 program. Properties previously evaluated as part of the program in 2006 or after are not…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Tuesday voted 7-4 to approve a settlement agreement with Tampa Bay Water that resolves a dispute over how much water a seawater desalination facility must produce. The agreement also promotes environmental restoration.This agreement allows the District and Tampa Bay Water to move forward with its partnership to ensure a sustainable water supply for the Tampa Bay area and expedite environmental recovery in areas where water…

A familiar face is the District’s newest leader. Robert Beltran is now the District’s executive director. He replaces Blake Guillory who became the executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.  The Florida native and Polk County resident joined the District in March 2012 as the assistant executive director where he oversaw the District’s Regulation, Resource Management, Operations, and Maintenance and Construction divisions. Some of…

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…

At its August 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.268 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $9,108,165, which is an increase of $3,064,078 over 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is closing navigation on the Hillsborough River at Structure S-155 to meet safety standards.Due to the high velocity of water from recent above-average rainfall, boat barriers will be put in place where I-75 crosses the Hillsborough River, restricting navigation in that area. The S-155 structure is part of the Tampa Bypass Canal System and located north of Morris Bridge Road and east of I-75. It can be seen from I-75…

 Deer Prairie Creek Preserve was jointly acquired by the District and Sarasota County and lies between I-75 and US 41. The Schewe Tract, which lies both north and south of I-75, is managed by the District. The property was acquired to protect the floodplain of the river and the water quality of the water sources within the region.The dominant natural communities are pine flatwoods, mixed hardwood and pine, and wetland hardwoods. A portion of the tract was utilized for…

The District’s response team jumps into action to help the Suwannee River Water Management District with flooding in its area. (Photo courtesy Paul Buchanan) As Tropical Storm Debby churned in the Gulf of Mexico in June, it brought record rainfall, flooding and damage to various areas of the District. As part of the District’s core mission of flood protection, staff immediately responded to the needs of the community in a variety of ways. The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board Thursday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1885 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Coastal Rivers Basin Board covers portions of Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 9.9 percent decrease in ad valorem…

Brian Armstrong, District Water Supply & Resource Development manager, taught students at Watergrass Elementary School in Pasco County during the Great American Teach-In. More than 1,400 students in 16 schools recently learned about the District and water resources during the annual Teach-In. Members of the District’s Youth Education Team spoke to students about watersheds, the water cycle, plant and animal habitats as well as careers in the water industry.

At its August 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2005 (FY2005) millage rate of 0.400 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget forFY 2005 is $32,040,442, which is an increase of $5,217,586 from the approvedFY2004 budget.FY2005 will run from Oct. 1, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2005. The increase in the budget is due to additional ad valorem property taxes resulting from…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board Friday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1827 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Peace River Basin Board area includes Hardee, DeSoto and portions of Polk, Highlands and Charlotte counties.This millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 10 percent decrease in…

The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) recently awarded the Southwest Florida and St. Johns River water management districts with the Technical Merit Award in the area of research for their work on minimum flows and levels (MFLs.) NALMS is a professional organization that produces an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal, Lake and Reservoir Management, as well as a quarterly magazine, LakeLine. The award was presented at the NALMS annual…