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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a kickoff meeting on Thursday, March 1 at 5 p.m. at the Ridge Manor Community Center located at 34240 Cortez Blvd. in Ridge Manor. The purpose of the meeting is to gather feedback about the upcoming development of the minimum flows for the upper and middle Withlacoochee River. Minimum flows protect rivers, streams and springs from impacts associated with groundwater and surface water withdrawals. They are…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, August 27 held from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Jimmy B. Keel Regional Library2902 W. Bearss Ave. Tampa, Fl. 33618. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed minimum and guidance levels for Starvation Lake.The state Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies…

District scientists have been working in conjunction with staff at the St. Johns River and South Florida water management districts to set up wetland monitoring sites as part of a regional monitoring program. The collaboration is a result of the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI), a water planning effort among government agencies, water utilities, environmental groups,…

At its July 26 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.2421 mill, which is .0259 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has implemented the first project in the Lower Hillsborough River recovery effort.The District began pumping 11 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water, or 7.1 million gallons per day (gpd), from the Tampa Bypass Canal to the Hillsborough River Reservoir on December 31 as part of the Tampa Bypass Canal Diversion Project. In turn, 8.25 cfs, or 5.3 million gallons per day, is being pumped from the reservoir to the base of the dam…

At its June 7 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.268 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, with the concurrence of the Basin Board chair ex officio, to recalculate its…

At today’s meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2007 (FY2007) millage rate of 0.160 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2007 is $24,977,189, which is an increase of $4,741,656 from the approved FY2006 budget. The increase is attributed to increased property values and additional revenue from the State Water Protection and Sustainability Program for alternative water supply…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla in Marion County March 6-9. Infestations of hydrilla will be treated on the Rainbow River from the County Road 484 bridge to where the river meets the Withlacoochee River.Treatment involves the application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. River water should not be used for…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla in Marion County Oct. 17-20. Infestations of hydrilla will be treated on the Rainbow River from the County Road 484 bridge to where the river meets the Withlacoochee River.Treatment involves the application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions restrictions. River water should not…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and its contractor will collect channel bottom elevations downstream of the Inglis Bypass Spillway water control structure located in Levy County on the Inglis Bypass Channel. The work is  scheduled to take place Tuesday, March 23. During that time, the water control gates will need to be partially or fully closed. The closure will be during daylight hours and will last for about six hours. The channel…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to comment on proposed minimum guidance levels for Lakes Rogers and Raleigh in Hillsborough County at a public workshop on Wednesday, May 29. The workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Walker Middle School Cafeteria, located at 8282 North Mobley Road in Odessa.The state Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has activated the Tampa Bypass Canal System in response to heavy rains from Tropical Storm Debby to help protect the cities of Temple Terrace and Tampa from river flooding.The Hillsborough River has reached the activation criteria and the District has closed Structure S-155 as of 6 p.m. tonight. The Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (HFDA) is now considered activated, and the empty reservoir will begin to fill with…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has deactivated the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA), reopening the S-155 structure allowing normal flow down the river. Boat barriers have been removed to allow normal navigation along that portion of the Hillsborough River. In July, the Hillsborough River reached an elevation of 25 feet above sea level, which triggered the Army Corps of Engineers activation level of the Lower Hillsborough Flood…

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to see freezing temperatures during Thursday and Friday mornings.This has prompted the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ to advise residents who live near Plant City and Dover who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps tonight and Thursday.During a freeze or near-freezing temperatures, water is pumped…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Hurricane Michael and have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during, and after an emergency weather event. The District is continuing to monitor potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout its 16-county region. Since we are at the end of the four-…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, July 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional 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 Sunset Lake and Lake Dan in Hillsborough County.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hugh Embry Library located at 14215 Fourth Street in Dade City. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Lakes Buddy and Pasadena.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within…

New environmental regulations recently went into law aimed at streamlining the state’s permitting process and giving applicants more options for authorization. Some provisions of the new law include:

• Required action on permit applications within 60 days of receipt of last timely requested material.
• Precludes government agencies from delaying action because of pending approval from other local, state or federal agencies.
• Provides for the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Land O' Lakes Community Center, located at 5401 Land O' Lakes Boulevard (U.S. Highway 41), in Land O' Lakes. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Lake Padgett. The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for…

Left: First-time homeowners receive Florida Water StarSM Gold plaques, certificates and keys to their new homes. Center: District Governing Board Member Maritza Rovira-Forino speaks about the Florida Water Star℠ Gold program before presenting plaques and certificates to new homeowners. Right: One of the six certified Florida Water Star℠ Gold homes in the Hidden Creek community in Hillsborough County. Six families recently received the keys to their affordable,…