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Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials will deactivate the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from a Level 2 to a Level 3 at 6 p.m. today. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency weather event. District officials had raised the activation level of the EOC Oct. 8 as Hurricane Michael moved through the Gulf of Mexico. Level 3 activation is a general state of monitoring used during… Read more

Approximately 15 volunteers will get their feet wet this Saturday, May 21, participating in a restoration project organized by the Kings Bay Advisory Group.The volunteers will plant a variety of emergent, or water, plants along the Kings Bay shoreline. The goal of this project is to improve the habitat of the hardened shoreline, which will reduce wave action and lead to better water clarity and quality. By planting approximately 160 native plants, volunteers also hope to… Read more

The Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Southwest Florida Water Management District on August 22 passed resolutions honoring the late Edward W. Chance and Dr. James T. Griffiths for their outstanding service in the agricultural community.Chance, who died in June, served on the District’s Governing Board and as Co-Chair of the Manasota Basin Board from 2000 until 2006. He was a member of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation… Read more

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to see freezing temperatures Thurssday morning.This has prompted the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ to "advise residents who live near Plant City and Dover(Dover/Plant City Freeze Management Plan)":/agriculture/freeze-management who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps tonight.During a freeze or… Read more

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to see freezing temperatures Wednesday morning.This has prompted the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ to "advise residents who live near Plant City and Dover(Dover/Plant City Freeze Management Plan)":/agriculture/freeze-management who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps tonight.During a freeze or… Read more

 The property was acquired for protection of the area's groundwater recharge, as well as important surface water features and wetland habitats. The preserve's wetlands play a role in both the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes and the Withlacoochee River systems, part of the Floridan aquifer's recharge/discharge system. Additionally, the site provides habitat to wildlife, including a small population of threatened Florida scrub-jays.

Most of the Tampa Bay area will see freezing temperatures tonight. The Southwest Florida Water Management District is once again advising 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 tomorrow morning.During a freeze or near freezing temperatures, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop temporarily. Once aquifer… Read more

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activation Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Hurricane Eta and have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2 as of 9:30 a.m. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during, and after an emergency event. The District is continuing to monitor potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout… Read more

 The area is an ideal place where visitors, from school groups to master birders, can visit and explore some of central Florida’s flora and fauna found in a natural state that has had little modification by man. The area contains a variety of different habitat types with a wide diversity of plant life. These types include, but are not limited to, sandhills, flatwoods, oak hammocks, river swamp and cypress ponds. The characteristic cypress ponds that dot the landscape… Read more

A freeze warning is in effect tonight for most of the Tampa Bay area. This warning has prompted the Southwest Florida Water Management District to advise residents who live near Plant City and Dover to switch off the pumps on their wells tonight and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up Thursday morning.During a freeze, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop temporarily. Once aquifer levels fall… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted its fiscal year 2012-13 (FY2012-13) millage rate and budget.The "Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ adopted a FY2012-13 millage rate of 0.3928 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. FY2012-13 will run from Oct. 1, 2012, through Sept. 30, 2013. With taxable property values declining by 2.9 percent, this rate will result in a $3 million reduction in ad… Read more

h2. Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 ActivationSouthwest Florida Water Management District officials are monitoring Hurricane Matthew and have raised the activation level of the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2. The EOC provides direction and controls District activities during an emergency weather event. Level 2 activation is utilized when a specific weather situation has reached a point where the District may be adversely affected. Level 2 is a… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is advising residents who live near Plant City and Dover that they should switch off the pumps on their wells tonight and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up Tuesday morning. During a freeze, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop temporarily.Once aquifer levels fall below a well’s pump level, the pump can burn out if it is not shut off.… Read more

At its June 14 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2007 (FY2007) millage rate of 0.160 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The proposed budget for FY2007 is $22,943,451, which is an increase of $2,707,918 from the approved FY2006 budget. The main reason for this increase is additional revenue anticipated from the state Water Protection and Sustainability program for alternative water… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a proposed rolled-back millage rate of 0.1909 mill for the fiscal year 2025 budget.The millage rate is 6.6% lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.2043 mill, a savings to taxpayers of approximately $9.5 million.For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $19.09 a year, or… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River January 18-20. Infestations of hydrilla immediately upriver of KP Hole to the Withlacoochee River in Marion County will be treated.Treatment involves the application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. River water should not be used for irrigation or domestic purposes… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is advising residents who live near Plant City and Dover that they should switch off the pumps on their wells tonight and leave the pumps off until the temperatures warm up Tuesday morning. During a freeze, farmers pump additional water from their wells to protect their crops, causing aquifer levels to drop temporarily.Once aquifer levels fall below a well’s pump level, the pump can burn out if it is not shut off.… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lake Wales City Hall Commission Chamber located at 201 West Central Avenue in Lake Wales. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Lakes Starr and Wailes. The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for… Read more

Southwest Florida Water Management District officials have deactivated the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from a Level 2 to a Level 3. The EOC provides direction and controls District activities during an emergency weather event. Level 3 activation is utilized when a specific weather situation has been detected that must be monitored or a general state of monitoring exists, such as during the hurricane season. Level 3 is a monitoring–only activation level, and… Read more

For three decades, District staff have managed hundreds of projects that provided water quality improvement for surface water bodies and restored thousands of acres of habitats through the SWIM program. The Surface Water Improvement and Management Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 1987 to protect, restore and maintain Florida’s… Read more