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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Sarasota Service Office (SSO) will relocate to a new facility effective Monday, March 9. To facilitate this move, the SSO will be temporarily closed to the public Friday, March 6. Normal office hours will resume Monday, March 9 at the new location. The address of the new SSO is 78 Sarasota Center Blvd. in Sarasota. All other contact information including email and phone numbers will remain the same.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the District’s headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The meeting will begin at 9 a.m.The Governing Board will discuss merging the Hillsborough River and the Northwest Hillsborough Basin Boards at the meeting.The Governing Board typically meets on the last Tuesday of the month. This month the meeting is being held two weeks…

On the morning of Jan. 9, 2010, after six consecutive days of freezing temperatures, District Executive Director Dave Moore called Alba Más, Tampa’s regulation director, for an assessment of the Plant City/Dover area in Eastern Hillsborough County. So far, so good, with only minimal impacts reported. However, beginning on the seventh consecutive day of freezing temperatures, and entering uncharted territory, the reports began flooding in of dry wells and sinkholes…

The District recently restructured the Regulation Division to increase the quality of service. Resource Regulation evaluates Environmental Resource, Water Use and Well Construction permit applications and is responsible for addressing permitting compliance. Regulation Division duties include reviewing permit applications, monitoring permitted activities, enforcing District rules and permit conditions, and maintaining regulatory records for the District. The…

This grid map is an example of what Reality Check participants will use during the workshop. The Tampa Bay region is about to get “real,” but we’re not talking about a new reality television series being taped in the area. Reality Check Tampa Bay is a one-day exercise designed to analyze and develop alternative growth scenarios through 2050 for our rapidly growing region. The Tampa Bay region includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Pasco County's Pithlachascotee River/Bear Creek watershed. Residents living in the Pithlachascotee River/Bear Creek watershed are invited to attend an open house on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 or Thursday, May 1, 2014 beginning each day at 4:00 p.m. The meetings will take place at River Ridge High School, located…

The District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday for the latest slate of officers for the 2024-2025 term.Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks and ensure the public’s water needs are met.The new officers are: …

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Sarasota Office will be closed tomorrow, Friday, October 7th in conjunction with Governor Rick Scott's order to close state offices in the area due to Hurricane Matthew. Earlier today, the decision was made to close the Brooksville and Tampa offices due to anticipated sustained tropical storm force winds associated with hurricane. The decision to close the Bartow and Lake Hancock offices was made yesterday. All…

Super Support Two organizations recently recognized the District for its continued support of Nature’s Classroom, an environmental education center located on the District-owned Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area property. Each year environmental education field trips to Nature’s Classroom provide approximately 13,000 sixth-grade students in Hillsborough County with a three-day, hands-on field study experience focusing on the hydrology and ecosystem of the…

From left: Andrea Roshaven, Tampa Water Department; Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member; Paul Rauch, Wildrose Lawncare Inc. co-owner; Pam Iorio, Tampa mayor; Christine Collins, Wildrose Lawncare Inc. co-owner; Hugh Gramling, Governing Board member; and April Genter, Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. The wind and rain didn’t deter enthusiastic gardeners from attending the third annual Florida Yard Fandango in March. This year the gardening event…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during November and December for two District sites in Sarasota County – the Schewe Tract and the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve. Both properties are located to the north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190, with US 41 as the preserve's far southern boundary. The properties are also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port and Warm Mineral…

Three reappointed members of the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board took their oaths of office during the Basin Board’s August meeting.Rufus Lazzell, Paul Samuels and Fred Trippensee were all reappointed by Governor Charlie Crist in June.Lazzell is from Punta Gorda. He is a retired US Army Brigadier General and former mayor of Punta Gorda. His term ends March 1, 2012.Trippensee is from Avon Park. He is the president of…

Governor Charlie Crist recently reappointed several members to one of the seven Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Alafia River Basin Board:

• Steve Bissonnette of Lakeland was reappointed. He is assistant director of community development for the City of Lakeland. His term began June 23 and ends March 1, 2010.
• Cheryl Johnson of Brandon was reappointed. She is a real estate associate with Tampa Electric Company. Her term began…

Governor Charlie Crist recently reappointed several members to one of the seven Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Peace River Basin Board:

• Rufus Lazzell of Punta Gorda was reappointed. He is a retired US Army Brigadier General and former mayor of Punta Gorda. His term began June 22 and ends March 1, 2012.
• Fred Trippensee of Avon Park was reappointed. He is the president of Trippensee & Co. Inc. His term began June 22 and…

Due to extremely dry conditions caused by the ongoing three-year drought, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has suspended controlled burns on District lands and is asking outdoor enthusiasts to take extra precautions to prevent wildfires.Dry weather is expected to continue through June. In addition to the lack of rain, several freezes over the past several months have made grasses and other light vegetation extremely dry and volatile, increasing the potential…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days of August and September for two District sites in Sarasota County the Schewe Ranch property and the Deer Prairie Creek property.Both tracts are located to the north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190, with U.S. Hwy. 41 as its southern boundary. The properties are also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have rescheduled several meetings due to impacts from Hurricane Irma. The Governing Board tentative budget hearing has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 5:01 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. The Evaluation Committee Meeting in connection with Request for Proposals No. 007-17, Investment Advisory Services, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is hosting an online webinar to discuss the Cooperative Funding Initiative (CFI) for fiscal year 2027. During the webinar, District staff will review the application process, discuss policy and program changes, and answer specific project-related questions. The webinar is open to the public and anyone thinking of applying for cooperative funding is encouraged to attend. All attendees must register ahead of time using…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 3 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North.A public hearing on the FY2025 budget is scheduled for 5:01 p.m. at the Tampa Service Office.To view the Governing Board meeting and the public hearing on the FY2025 budget online, click on the …