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The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2024-2025 term. Michelle Williamson was elected chair of the Governing Board. Williamson represents Hillsborough County and is the operations manager of G&F Farms. Williamson was appointed to the Governing Board in August 2016 and reappointed in December 2020. John Mitten was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Mitten represents Hernando and Marion… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to comment on proposed "minimum flows and levels(Minimum Flows and Levels)":/mfl (MFLs) for the Homosassa River and associated springs at a public workshop on Thursday, Jan. 6. The workshop will be held from 6 to approximately 8:45 p.m. at Citrus County's Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W. Sovereign Path in Lecanto.The District has already held one public… Read more

The Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program at the District turned 20 this year. The SWIM Program currently manages more than 100 projects throughout the District’s 16-county region. These projects focus on restoring degraded habitats and reducing pollution entering the SWIM priority water bodies. “The District’s SWIM Program, with the help of local, state and federal partners, has been successful in helping water bodies recover from years of pollution… Read more

Governor Rick Scott reappointed Jeffery M. Adams to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/. Adams represents Pinellas County. Adams, 55, of St. Petersburg, is an attorney with Abbey, Adams, Byelick, and Mueller LLP. Adams received his bachelor's degree from Oral Roberts University and his law degree from the Stetson College of Law. The reappointment is for a term beginning May 20, 2014, and ending March 1, 2018,… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting 9 a.m. March 30 at the "Hillsborough Community College Trinkle Center (Plant City Campus of Hillsborough Community College)":http://www.hccfl.edu/pc.aspx, 1206 N. Park Road, Plant City. The "Governing Board(Governing Board)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard holds some of its regular monthly… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with Charlotte County to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan for the Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). The plan will determine flood elevation levels and flows, water quality, and level of service deficiencies, which means determining when roads or other facilities are flooded beyond the level of adequate service for the community.The Charlotte Harbor CRA is located mid-county… Read more

Governor Rick Scott reappointed Carlos Beruff and George Mann to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/. Beruff represents Manatee County and Mann represents Polk County.Beruff, of Bradenton, is owner and president of Medallion Homes Gulf Coast, Inc. Mann, of Polk City, is a retired business development manager for Treatt USA. Both men are reappointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and… Read more

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Wendy J. Giesy-Griffin to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board today.Giesy-Griffin of Lithia is a retired environmental consultant. She was appointed to succeed Hugh M. Gramling, and her term ends March 1, 2016.Giesy-Griffin consulted with Metis Environmental Services beginning in 1996. Prior to that, she was an environmental administrator with the Florida Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1985, and an… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is launching a new public awareness campaign in the Crystal River/Kings Bay area that will help residents have green lawns, not green water.The multimedia campaign, which was developed to address increasing nitrate levels in Crystal River and Kings Bay, focuses on teaching Citrus and Marion county residents about proper fertilizer use.Excess fertilizer applied to public parks, golf courses and lawns can percolate through the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Marion in Levy County.A public workshop will be held Wednesday, Oct. 11, at the Williston Community Center, 50 Northwest Main Street, Williston. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.A minimum flow or level (MFL) is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing… Read more

A Low Impact Development (LID) workshop will be featured on Sept. 6 during Florida’s 31th Annual Conference on Water Management at the Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort in Tarpon Springs. The conference is being held Sept. 6-8.The LID workshop will provide builders and developers an open forum with government stormwater regulators. The workshop will also allow builders and developers to learn from their contemporaries who have successfully implemented LID practices.Paul… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum levels for Lake Marion in Levy County.A public workshop will be held Monday, Dec. 12, at the Williston Community Center, 50 Northwest Main Street, Williston. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as… Read more

Gov. Charlie Crist recently appointed a new member to the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Ronald E. Oakley of Zephyrhills was appointed to succeed Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice. His term began June 29 and ends March 1, 2011. Oakley is the executive vice president of Oakley Groves, Inc. He will also assume responsibility as chair ex officio of the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board.Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers… Read more

District leaders recently attended the dedication of Water Works Park in the City of Tampa, which included the restoration of Ulele Springs. The 5-acre park is part of the city’s plan to revitalize the Riverwalk District and Tampa Heights. Ulele Springs is a unique natural spring systems within downtown Tampa. Initiated in 2012, the Ulele Springs Restoration project is a  cooperative funding partnership between the District, city and Ecosphere Restoration… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during June, July, August and September on the District's "Upper Hillsborough Tract(Upper Hillsborough Tract)":/recreation/areas/uh-upperhill.html property in Pasco and Polk counties.The Upper Hillsborough Tract is located approximately five miles east of Zephyrhills. Approximately 1,000 acres of land… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us will be conducting ""controlled, prescribed burns"(Prescribed Fire - a Tool of Nature)":/publications/files/prescribed_fire.pdf during June and July on the District's Annutteliga Hammock property in Hernando County.The "Annutteliga Hammock (Annutteliga Hammock)":/recreation/areas/annuteligahammock.html property is located in the Royal Highlands area of… Read more

The Florida Senate has confirmed the appointments of five Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board members.

• Jack Bispham represents Manatee County and his term ends March 1, 2021.
• Joel Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties and his term ends March 1, 2023.
• Kelly Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and his term ends March 1, 2023.
• Roger Germann represents…

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Left: Governing Board Members Sallie Parks, seated, and Ron Oakley, standing to her left, review the project map. Right: Manny Lopez, left, a senior environmental scientist, and Oakley examine lead shot deposits. District staff and Board members recently toured Sawgrass Lake in Pinellas County to view the site of an upcoming restoration project. The restoration project… Read more

The confluence of Flint Creek and the Hillsborough River provides a beautiful setting for John B. Sargeant Park. The park is best known for boating access to the river. Downriver, the Hillsborough River State Canoe Trail is a winding, verdant jungle of hardwood trees, lilies and birds. Upstream, the river widens to flow through the broad hardwood swamp known as the Seventeen… Read more

Governor Rick Scott appointed David Dunbar to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/. Dunbar replaces Jennifer Closshey whose term ended on March 1st of this year. The Governing Board seat is a joint Pinellas/Hillsborough seat.Dunbar, of Palm Harbor, is a commercial banker with Synovus Bank of Florida. He received his bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State University. Dunbar's… Read more