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Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activationSouthwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Invest 97L 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.Invest 97L has the potential to bring significant rainfall to our area throughout the District’s 16-…

"The Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, December 10, at 6:00 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 proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Bird and Crystal Lakes.The state Legislature requires the District to set Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies…

The District’s Governing Board recently approved SWIM plans for the Homosassa and Chassahowitzka rivers, meaning all five first-magnitude springs in the District now have established plans for improvement of those water bodies. The Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act requires the District to maintain a priority list of water bodies of regional and statewide significance and develop plans and programs for their improvement.  The Homosassa and…

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 Tropical Storm Nicole. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. Level 1 activation is utilized when a specific weather situation has developed into an emergency. Level 1 is…

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activation Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Tropical Storm Nicole 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 event. The District is continuing to monitor potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout its 16-…

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

Water Stewardship of the Year Award Winner And the nominees for water stewardship are…” While the District’s Water Stewardship Awards program may not be as big as the Oscars, the program is like the Academy Awards because it recognizes excellence. In this case, excellence is in the form of outstanding stewardship of Florida’s water resources. The District’s Governing Board chose Virginia Frissell as the Water Stewardship of the Year Award winner for her project “…

One newly appointed and one reappointed Governing Board member took the oath of office today to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.Pat Glass was appointed to the Governing Board. The Palmetto resident is retired and serves as a community volunteer. Glass will also assume responsibility as co-chair ex officio of the District’s Manasota Basin Board. Her term ends March 1, 2009.Glass, a long-time Manatee County commissioner and…

 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.

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activation Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Tropical Storm Ian 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 event. The District is continuing to monitor potential impacts from the storm that could occur throughout its 16-county…

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to see freezing temperatures Sunday 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 who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps Saturday night.During a freeze or near-freezing temperatures, water is pumped to protect crops and fish…

District Executive Director David L. Moore resigned May 26. He will continue temporarily in the role to help facilitate the successful transition of the next executive director. Moore, who was appointed executive director in March 2003, says he feels he is leaving the District at the right time. “The past eight years have been extremely rewarding,” said Moore. “From developing large-scale alternative water supplies and reclaimed water to dealing with droughts,…

Above left: Governing Board Chair Neil Combee congratulates former Governing Board Chair Joe Davis on his Lifetime Achievement Award. Above right: District Executive Director David Moore presents Fritz Musselmann, the District's recently retired land resources director, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The State of the Water Resources workshop was also an opportunity for the District to honor two men who were influential in the District’s growth and development…

The Southwest Florida Management District and Polk County have agreed to jointly fund a study to determine the feasibility of developing water supply from the Lower Floridan aquifer. Until now, all groundwater supplies from the Floridan aquifer have been obtained from the Upper Floridan aquifer.The project consists of constructing and testing an exploratory well in northeast Polk County. The test well will be drilled to a depth of 2,350 feet below the surface. The data…

As the powerful blast of water rocketed across the mound, the large pile of dirt covered with invasive plants disappeared within a matter of minutes. The District has turned water into a power tool to help restore wetlands and improve water quality as part of the ongoing Feather Sound Tidal Wetland Restoration Project. District contractors used specialized fire hoses to hydroblast spoil mounds, which were created in the mid-1900s when ditches were dug along the coast to…

At its July 24 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.1885 mill, which is .02 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.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold an independent, scientific peer review of wetland-based criteria for use in establishing minimum wetland and lake levels beginning this month. A minimum level is the level of groundwater in an aquifer or the level of surface water at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area. The review will be conducted by a three-member panel…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is soliciting stakeholder input on the annual update of the Priority List and Schedule for the Establishment of Minimum Flows and Levels. A public meeting will be held at the District's Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 Highway 301 North on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Minimum flows and levels are limits set by the District Governing Board for surface waters and…

Beginning next week, residents around Kings Bay will receive a special mail delivery that will show them just how easy it is to keep their bay beautiful.The Southwest Florida Water Management District is providing information about proper fertilizing techniques and septic tank maintenance to Kings Bay residents as part of its “Know Where It Flows” educational campaign.Nutrients from fertilizers and septic tanks can seep into the ground, which discharge into and…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have deactivated the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from a Level 2 to a Level 3. In April, the District activated the EOC to Level 2 in coordination with State Emergency Response Teams who requested and directed District resources during Florida's wildfire emergency event. The EOC provides direction and controls District activities during an emergency event.Level 3 activation is utilized when a…