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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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Marion County. The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Jan. 1, 2026, at …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) staff, state and local elected officials from Pinellas, Manatee and Hillsborough counties, Department of Environmental Protection staff, former Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) staff, SWIM volunteers, SWIM cooperators and consultantsWhat: The District will host an event at Cockroach Bay to celebrate 20 years since the Florida Legislature passed the SWIM Act. The event…

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to have near to below-freezing temperatures starting Tuesday morning and lasting throughout the week.The Southwest Florida Water Management District advises residents who live near Plant City and Dover who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the…

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…

Top left: Junior high students spent the day fishing. Putting the worm on the hook was a test for some! Top right: Joseph Verdi gets an up-close view of the watershed model. Lower left: Alexis Verdi studies the hiking guide. Lower right: Bob Brady, senior field technician, shows children how he takes water quality samples. For the second year in a row, members of the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County piled into buses that would take them to the Weekiwachee…

Governor Rick Scott reappointed Bryan K. Beswick, Mark C. Taylor and Michelle Williamson to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board. All three have been appointed for a term beginning May 25, 2017 and ending March 1, 2020 and the appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.Beswick, of Arcadia, represents DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties. He is a grove manager with Premier Citrus Management LLC. Taylor, of Brooksville,…

On Tuesday, the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District adopted a FY2016-17 millage rate of 0.3317 mill, 4.9 percent lower than the current fiscal year. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $33 a year, or about $2.76 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2017. The total FY2016-17 proposed budget for the District is $180.1 million.The budget reflects the…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is teaming up with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Department of Parks and Recreation on a restoration project aimed at cleaning up the Homosassa Springs headspring, located within the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and the Blue Waters area of the Homosassa River.The project will remove 25,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment, which causes reduced water quality when the sediment is…

h2. First Test This Saturday, July 2 at 12:30 p.m. The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will begin monthly audible testing on Saturday, July 2, of an emergency siren located at a water control structure on Jack Creek in Lake Placid. The audible testing will occur the first Saturday of each month at 12:30 p.m. to ensure the siren performs properly. During testing, the siren will sound once for approximately 15…

Governor Rick Scott appointed Elijah "Ed" Armstrong III to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board.":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ Armstrong replaces Todd Pressman whose term ended on March 1 of this year. The Governing Board seat represents Pinellas County.Armstrong, of Dunedin, is an attorney with Hill Ward Henderson. He received his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and his law degree from…

Sometimes Florida yards need fertilizer to help keep them healthy, but applying the wrong kind can cause water pollution. You can use "Florida-friendly fertilizing(Florida-Friendly Fertilizing)":/yards/fertilizing practices to help protect water quality while having a beautiful lawn.Most home lawn fertilizers contain some slow-release nitrogen. It takes a little longer for your yard to benefit from slow-release nitrogen, but the effects will last longer. Many of these…

The Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council will meet to discuss the completion of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration project on Monday, Sept. 8, 5 p.m. at the Lake Panasoffkee Recreation Center’s West Wing, 1532 CR-459, Lake Panasoffkee.During the meeting the council will receive status updates on the lake dredging project, canal cleanup and the sale of shell at the spoil area. The public is also invited to share comments.The Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council was…