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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Monday, Aug. 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library, located at 11211 Countryway Blvd. in Tampa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lakes Church and Echo in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lakes…

In 1980, the District and the city of Clearwater entered into an agreement for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Alligator Creek Water Management Project. The District provided land and operates the water-control structure; the city operates and maintains Cliff Stephens Park. The project provides stormwater management and flood protection for the surrounding Clearwater area.

The Tampa Bypass Canal (TBC) is a 14-mile waterway that connects the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve with McKay Bay. The canal provides flood protection for the cities of Temple Terrace and Tampa by diverting floodwaters from the Hillsborough River. The canal is also a water supply source for the city of Tampa.

Henry Paul Senft took his oath of office Tuesday to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board.Senft was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a newly created seat representing Polk County. The Governing Board was previously made up of 11 seats. Last year the State Legislature added two new seats for a total of 13. Senft’s term ends March 1, 2011.The Haines City resident is the owner of Townsend-Senft Consulting and Insurance Inc.…

West Hernando Middle School students and teachers will get their hands dirty this month when they work side by side with Southwest Florida Water Management District staff restoring the Weekiwachee Preserve.The student workdays are April 13 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.During the workdays students will plant soft-stemmed bulrush along the banks of several water bodies within the preserve and monitor the water quality. The goal of the project is to revegetate and develop the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program with a series of events highlighting restoration and water quality improvement projects throughout the District.To commemorate this anniversary, three events will recognize program supporters, increase overall awareness and showcase the success of the SWIM Program. The events include:Lake Hartridge Nature Park at the…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 1 Activation Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 1 as they continue to monitor Hurricane Ian. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. The District is monitoring storm forecasts associated with Hurricane Ian throughout its 16-county region. In response…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Venice Golf and Country Club have agreed to jointly fund a project to recycle stormwater for irrigation purposes.The project consists of the design and construction of an alternate stormwater outfall, which will divert stormwater from the club’s property to a pond operated by Sarasota County where it will be stored for irrigation needs.By using the recycled stormwater as an irrigation source, nutrients in the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library located at 2902 W. Bearss Ave. in Tampa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Dosson and Sunshine lakes in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Dosson and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center located at 98 1st Ave. NW in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Brant Lake in Hillsborough County.   During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Brant Lake. Minimum levels…

The skies opened up and heavy rains came down when water managers gathered in Tarpon Springs this September for the Annual Conference on Water Management. Coincidentally, impacts from the recent serious hurricane seasons and the “new reality” of water management in Florida were the focus at this year’s conference. The conference, which is co-sponsored by the state’s five water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), had a…

Parts of the Tampa Bay area may see freezing temperatures during early morning hours throughout the week. This has prompted the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org to advise residents who live near Plant City and Dover to switch off the pumps on their wells at night and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up in the morning. During a freeze or near freezing temperatures, farmers pump…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center, located at 98 1st Avenue NW in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Sapphire Lake in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Sapphire Lake. Minimum levels…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at the Austin Davis Public Library, located at 17808 Wayne Road, in Odessa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Calm in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lake Calm. Minimum levels…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board Wednesday adopted a reduced millage rate of .3600 mill for fiscal year 2009 (FY2009). This millage rate is .0101 lower than the FY2008 millage rate. In June, the Board adopted a millage rate of .3701 but today Basin Board members said declining property values and the economy influenced their decision to lower it. The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board area covers Pinellas County and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, July 9, at 5:45 p.m. at the Lutz Branch Library, located at 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Linda in Pasco County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lake Linda. Minimum levels are…

Joint Effort Educates Residents on Protecting Vital Resource Volunteers retrieve debris from Kings Bay during Citrus County’s Save Our Waters Week. The District’s 2011 observance of Springs Awareness Week helped more residents understand their effects on the health of springs, thanks to a joint venture with two northern counties. The District joined Citrus and Marion counties to mark Springs Awareness Week Sept. 16–24. The week combined Citrus County’s…

At its June 9 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2547 mill, which is the same rate as the current fiscal year. The Hillsborough River Basin Board area covers portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.The proposed budget for FY2009 is $20,020,887 which is an increase of $1,971,863 from the approved FY2008 budget. The increase is primarily due…

At its July 27 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.1827 mill, which is .0123 less than the current fiscal year. This reduction is in accordance with the tax reduction mandated by the Florida Legislature.The FY2008 millage rate has been set equal to 97 percent of the rolled-back rate in compliance with House Bill 1B, the tax reform legislation signed into law by Gov.…

At its June 8 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.195 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.Further, in the event that a tax reduction is mandated by the Legislature during its special session later this month, the Basin Board has authorized the Executive Director to recalculate its millage rate to reflect the change in revenue prescribed by the…