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The "Southwest Florida Water Management Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to elect new officers to the board. *Michael A. Babb* was elected chair of the Governing Board. Babb represents Hillsborough County, and is president of Two Rivers Ranch, Inc. in Thonotosassa. Babb was appointed to the Board in June 2011. He was re-appointed in March 2014.*Randall S. Maggard* was elected vice-chair of the Governing Board. Maggard… Read more

Today is National Camp Day and the perfect time to reflect on the ways we can connect with the great outdoors. Whether you’re an avid camper, a hiking enthusiast or simply looking for a peaceful retreat, the District offers a variety of natural spaces and activities to help you refresh and reconnect with nature.  The District provides numerous campgrounds, each… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org is gathering input needed to improve identification of "flooding risks(Understanding Flooding and Floodplains)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/publications/files/understanding_flooding.pdf in the county. The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on their national effort to update and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting the public to comment on proposed minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for the Anclote River at a public workshop on Monday, Oct. 12. The workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the District’s Tampa Service Office, 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa.The state Legislature requires the District to set MFLs for all water bodies within the District. A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live… Read more

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staffWhat: The District is installing approximately 3,000 aquatic plants along the Weeki Wachee River headspring.When: Thursday, April 9, 10 a.m.Where: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 6131 Commercial Way, Spring HillWhy: This is the final phase of a restoration project that also involved removing sediments, Lyngbya algae and other invasive vegetation to help improve the water quality.As part of the project, approximately 101… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recognized two leaders in landscape education for their efforts to teach residents and landscape professionals about the connection between their landscape and protection of the water resources. The awards were presented Wednesday at the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.

• Dr. Terril Nell, director of the University of Florida’s Center for Landscape…

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The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted unanimously today to approve two agreements that will pave the way for Weeki Wachee Springs to become a state park.The Governing Board approved a settlement agreement between Weeki Wachee Springs and the District that will end four years of litigation between the two parties. In addition, the Board approved an agreement between Weeki Wachee Springs and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during December on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve and the Annuteliga Hammock.The Weekiwachee Preserve is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Annuteliga Hammock is approximately five miles south of Chassahowitzka. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small,… Read more

Community leaders in Sarasota County kick off the construction of the Dearborn Street Stormwater Project. Michael Peck, professional engineer with the District, recently helped community leaders in Sarasota County kick off the construction of the Dearborn Street Stormwater Project. The low-impact design (LID) project for the Englewood Community Redevelopment area will incorporate environmentally friendly “green” features such as bioswales, prepared or mixed… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is asking for the public’s input on creating a land use and management plan for the Chito Branch Reserve in eastern Hillsborough County.A workshop will be held at Pinecrest Elementary School on Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 6:30 until 8 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The school is located at 7950 Lithia-Pinecrest Road in Lithia.The Chito Branch Reserve encompasses more than 4,100 acres of land, which was purchased by the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 5:30 p.m. The purpose of the virtual workshop is to allow for public comment on recommended minimum flows for Little Manatee River in Hillsborough County. These are the first minimum flows being established for this river system and will include both the upper (freshwater) and lower (estuarine) portions of the river.Members of the public may join the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will train students at the Academy of Environmental Science to collect algal samples during future algae blooms in Kings Bay in Crystal River.Kings Bay has a history of algae blooms that negatively impact water clarity, cause habitat degradation and result in odor problems. Effective watershed management requires the identification of the types of algae. Due to the limited time frame available for sampling and the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during February and March on two District sites in Hillsborough County. The sites are the Alafia Reservoir property and the Lower Hillsborough property.The Alafia Reservoir property is approximately 2 miles south of Lithia. Approximately 285 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Lower Hillsborough property is approximately 1 mile southeast of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during January and February on the District’s Jack Creek property in Highlands County. The property, which is in the Leisure Lakes area, is approximately 1 mile west of U.S. Hwy. 27, 3 miles south of S.R. 66 and 6 miles northwest of Lake Placid. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 200 acres of land will… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October and November on the Prairie-Shell Creek property. The Charlotte County site is west of U.S. Hwy. 17 and east of the Peace River, approximately 8 miles northeast of Punta Gorda. Approximately 300 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” October and November on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in the Leisure Lake area, which is approximately one mile west of U.S Highway 27, three miles south of State Road 66 and six miles northwest of Lake Placid. There is the potential to burn more than 200 acres of land in small, manageable units.The scheduled, managed… Read more

The Southwest Florida Management District recently signed an agreement with Hillsborough County to move forward on a project that will reduce flooding near Lake June.The Lake June Wetlands Restoration and Wee Lake Outfall Improvements project will improve conveyance and provide additional storage within the watershed by relocating and upgrading existing ditches and culverts, and removing an earthen land bridge built across Lake June for peat mining. Lake June and Wee Lake… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remainder of August on the District’s Jack Creek property in Highlands County. The property, which is in the Leisure Lakes area, is approximately 1 mile west of U.S. Hwy. 27, 3 miles south of S.R. 66 and 6 miles northwest of Lake Placid. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August on the Deep Creek property. The site, which is located in DeSoto County, is approximately 3 to 4 miles north of the Kings Highway on-ramp to I-75. The parcel is east of the Kings Highway and north of the Deep Creek subdivision.Approximately 700 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The scheduled, managed burns are a part of… Read more