Search Content

Governor Rick Scott appointed two new board members to the District’s Governing Board and also re-appointed a board member. Mark Taylor and Michelle Williamson were appointed to the board. Taylor represents Hernando and Marion counties and Williamson represents Hillsborough County. Taylor, 57, of Brooksville, is the president of TTG Properties Inc. Taylor received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is appointed for a term from Aug. 26, 2016… Read more

Long Distance Assistance As of Friday morning, August 13, Hurricane Charley was still projected to strike the Tampa Bay area. That’s when Garry Flood’s supervisor, Dale Ravencraft, asked him to travel to Tallahassee and serve in Florida’s State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). “I had to leave my wife and two teenage kids here in order to help out,” said Flood. “It was a hard situation, but I just had to pray that they would be safe while I went to help other… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close all District-managed campgrounds and properties to include trails and day use areas throughout its 16-county region Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. in anticipation of impacts from Tropical Storm Nicole. For the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at… Read more

Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard calls it “another gem in the crown of Clearwater,” but Kapok Park wasn’t always a beautiful public green space, home to roseate spoonbills, wood storks, sandpipers and many other shorebirds. In December, Representative Gus Bilirakis joined members of the District’s Governing and Pinellas-Anclote River Basin boards, along with the Clearwater mayor and several city staff members, in celebrating the completion of a $19.3 million floodplain… Read more

John Parker (left), his wife Leslie, daughters Melissa and Jessica, and son-in-law Dylan Nugent gather near “Other Man Lake” in Quetico Provincial Park. Sadness spread across the District’s Brooksville Headquarters as coworkers learned about John Parker’s death in a car accident in May. “When you spend more than 20 years working with someone on projects that define your life, and when you share in a common goal, you have a bond, even if you didn’t hang out… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19 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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will close all District-managed campgrounds and properties to include trails and day use areas throughout its 16-county region Saturday, Aug. 3, at 11 a.m., in anticipation of impacts from Potential Tropical Cyclone 4.Additionally, the District is in the process of canceling all existing camping reservations through Tuesday, Aug. 6.For the most updated information, please visit the District’s website at … Read more

Chassahowitzka Property Offers Much to Do at an Outstanding Waterway Camping, hiking, boating, freshwater and saltwater fishing; a full range of outdoor activities are available at the District’s Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps property in southwestern Citrus County. Purchased in the early 1990s, the… Read more

FY2012 Budget Is 44.4 Percent Below FY2011 Levels The District’s Governing Board adopted a FY2012 millage rate of 0.3928 mill and a budget of $155.5 million at its September final budget hearing. The millage rate and budget take into account the merger of the budgets of the District’s eight Basin Boards into the Governing Board and the $107.8 million cap on ad valorem property taxes levied, which was passed by the Florida Legislature. This millage rate, combined… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Sumter County's Gant Lake watershed. Most of the currently available floodplain information is 10 to 30 years old and is outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and erosion.Residents living in the Gant Lake watershed are invited to attend an open house on Wednesday,… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Polk County's Mulberry watershed. Most of the currently available floodplain information is 10 to 30 years old and is outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and erosion.Residents living in the Mulberry watershed are invited to attend an open house on Tuesday, January… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Sumter County's Big Prairie watershed. Most of the currently available floodplain information is 10 to 30 years old and is outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and erosion.Residents living in the Big Prairie watershed are invited to attend an open house on Thursday,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Brooksville office will be closed on Wednesday, Sept. 13 due to impacts from Hurricane Irma. All other District offices will be open. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District's website at WaterMatters.org. As a reminder, you can find the latest information on… Read more

The Southwest Florida Management District recently signed two agreements with Sarasota County to move forward on projects that will help reduce flooding associated with heavy rains in the Hudson Bayou and Matheny Creek watersheds.Hudson Bayou WatershedThe Hudson Bayou Watershed spans approximately 3.8 miles in Sarasota County and includes the South Pelican Drive area, which experiences chronic flooding.The project will construct a pond downstream of the area to provide… Read more

Campgrounds will Reopen to the Public TomorrowThe Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has returned to normal operations after Hurricane Idalia and will lower the activation level of its Emergency Operations Center to a Level 3 at 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1. Level 3 activation is a general state of monitoring during the hurricane season. District lands have reopened to the public; however, campgrounds will open tomorrow at 3 p.m. The Oak… Read more

Governor Charlie Crist recently reappointed William Bunch and appointed Candy Nathe to two Southwest Florida Water Management District Basin Boards.William Bunch is the owner of Oysters Restaurant and lives in Crystal River. He was reappointed to the Coastal Rivers Basin Board. Bunch was first appointed to the Board 2001. His current term ends March 1, 2011. The Coastal Rivers Basin Board area includes the coastal regions of Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.Candy Nathe… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of January through March on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in the Leisure Lakes 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 150 acres of land in small, manageable units.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days of November and December on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in the Leisure Lakes 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 150 acres of land in small,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the July and August on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in the Leisure Lakes 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 250 acres of land in small, manageable units.The scheduled,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days of April and May on the Deep Creek property.The property is located along the Charlotte and DeSoto County line, with most of the property in DeSoto County. The parcel is east of Kings Highway, also known as County Road 769, west of the Peace River and north of Deep Creek Estates.Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small,… Read more