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The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during March and April on two District sites in Hillsborough County. The sites are the Alafia Reservoir property and the Lower Hillsborough property.The District’s Alafia Reservoir property is approximately 3 miles southwest of Lithia. Approximately 150 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Lower Hillsborough property is approximately 4… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the purchase of two parcels of environmentally sensitive land in the Annutteliga Hammock area of Hernando County.The first parcel of land is located on the north side of Centralia Road. The 4.43-acre parcel is being purchased for $35,994.The second parcel of land is also located on the north side of Centralia Road and is 1 mile east of Lalani Lane at the north end of Bareva road in the Royal… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during January and February on two District sites in Hillsborough County. The sites are the Alafia Reservoir property and the Lower Hillsborough property.The District’s Alafia Reservoir property is approximately 3 miles southwest of Lithia. Approximately 150 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Lower Hillsborough property is… Read more

  Gardenia Long, Watson Haynes II, Charles C. Scott and Lorraine Mayers at the Florida water management districts’ booth at the National Urban League Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Be loyal. Be a team player. Act right. Those are the golden rules that District Governing Board Chair Watson L. Haynes II learned early in his life from his mother, a woman with a third-grade education but a Ph.D. in character. The late Emma Haynes raised seven children… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Serenova Tract will be reserved Oct. 21-23for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors. The property will be closed to the public during this time.The hunt, which is organized by the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen, is one of more than 24 events the group holds throughout Florida each year. Other outings include fishing events, recreational shooting, and other… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Serenova Tract will be closed to the public Oct. 22-24. The District is limiting access to the property to prepare for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors.The hunt, which is organized by the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen, is one of more than 24 events the group holds throughout Florida each year. Other outings include fishing events, recreational… Read more

Workshop to follow at 10:30 a.m. The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. After the Governing Board meeting, the District will hold an informational workshop on water resources planning and financial projections. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the… Read more

 Photo left: District staffers Bob Brady, senior field technician; Carol Kraft, staff hydrologist; Dave DeWitt, senior geologist/engineer; and Tim Crosby, field technician, check out Peace Sign cave. Photo center: An 87-year-old tour participant talks to Gary Williams, District senior environmental scientist, on the walk to the caves. Photo right: Tim Crosby, field technician, shows tour participants how the District collects water quality samples. This… Read more

At its July 26 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.2163 mill, which is .0237 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.… Read more

About two dozen community leaders and other citizens got an up-close look at the condition of Kings Bay when the District hosted a boat tour last week.  The tour was one of the events during Save Our Waters Week in Citrus County. Chris Anastasiou, chief environmental scientist, Sean King, staff engineer, and Sky Notestein, senior environmental scientist, facilitated the tours, which included stops at Tarpon Hole, Magnolia Spring and Hunter Spring. Staff discussed… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect a new slate of officers for the 2020-2021 term. Kelly Rice was elected chair of the Governing Board. Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and is a small business owner involved in real estate, agriculture and health care. Rice was appointed to the Governing Board in September 2015. Joel Schleicher was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Schleicher represents… Read more

A light rain greeted about 100 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County as they arrived at the Weekiwachee Preserve, but the sprinkles didn’t dampen their excitement. The children were there to learn about water resources through fun, hands-on exercises and explorations. This is the third year District staff from several departments worked together to plan the popular field trip. The children, who ranged in age from kindergarten to fifth grade, rotated… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ voted today to begin the process to sell its Bartow Service Office and relocate staff to two other locations.The move is part of the "District's reorganization ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/news/article/1764/ to increase efficiencies, reduce operational costs and meet the District's core mission responsibilities in the areas of water supply, flood protection, water quality… Read more

Left: Kayakers waited to take part in the first “official” paddle at Robinson Preserve. Center: Visitors can enjoy views like this from the new observation tower (right). Manatee County residents and visitors have a new place to experience nature. The 487-acre Robinson Preserve, which is located in northwestern Manatee County, is now open to outdoor enthusiasts. The District joined Manatee County in celebrating the grand opening in July. Pat Glass,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2021-2022 term. Kelly Rice was re-elected chair of the Governing Board. Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and is a small-business owner involved in real estate, agriculture and health care. Rice was appointed to the Governing Board in September 2015 and reappointed in September 2019. Joel Schleicher was re-elected vice chair of the Governing… Read more

Misty Alderman, an environmental education specialist with DEP’s Office of Environmental Education, speaks to Pasco County workshop participants. The District is helping make sure school districts in Citrus, Pasco and Pinellas counties know about local resources available for teaching science, thanks to a partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). With funding… Read more

Brandt Henningsen, the District’s chief environmental scientist, shows off a freshly planted baby marsh at Cockroach Bay to students from the University of London. As student Bea Nagy inspected a freshly planted baby marsh or marveled at the water fowl dotting Cockroach Bay, she experienced a lesson not found in a textbook. Nagy was one of 17 students from the University of London to recently tour the District’s coastal ecosystem restoration projects such as… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a land management plan for the Conner Preserve, which will provide a variety of recreational opportunities for the public.The Conner Preserve encompasses 2,980 acres in central Pasco County and consists of a variety of habitats including wetlands, pine flatwoods, cypress domes, freshwater marshes, mixed uplands and improved pasture. The preserve also contains the headwaters of Five Mile… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August and September on both the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract."Deer Prairie Creek Preserve(Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve)":/recreation/areas/myakka-deerprairie.html, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, lies between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which lies north and south of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) considers feral hogs an invasive exotic species. Hogs negatively impact wetlands and other habitats by “rooting” up the soil while searching for food. They prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to other wildlife, livestock and humans. Additionally, hogs may facilitate the spread of exotic plant species by transporting seeds and/or providing germination sites through… Read more