Search Content

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during January and February for two District sites in Sarasota County the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.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 far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port and Warm Mineral… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days of October and November for two District sites in Sarasota County the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.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 far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is asking for the public’s input on developing a land management plan for the Conner Preserve in Pasco County.A workshop will be held at the Starkey Environmental Education Center on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. The environmental education center is located at the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve at 10500 Wilderness Park Road in New Port Richey.The Conner Preserve encompasses 2,980 acres in the eastern central… Read more

Florida residents experienced the catastrophic effects when the Panhandle was struck by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Observing the preparation and devastation from that devastating storm was an eye-opening experience for many District staff members. It’s a lesson they’ll take into this hurricane season, which started June 1 and runs through November. Hurricane Michael is the most powerful storm to ever impact the Panhandle Region, making landfall as a… Read more

Restoration Project Gives Site A New Look Looking at the 15 acres of restored habitat to the west of the Northside Christian School athletic fields in Pinellas County, one would never know the area was once used as a mining borrow pit and a construction dumpsite. The Joes Creek Habitat Restoration Project, a cooperative effort between Pinellas County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program, wiped… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through March on Starkey Wilderness Preserve, Conner Preserve and Cypress Creek Preserve.Starkey Wilderness Preserve is located east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway, north of State Road 54 and south of State Road 52. Approximately 500 acres will… Read more

Gov. Jeb Bush recently reappointed several members to five of the eight Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The governor also appointed several new Basin Board members.Alafia River Basin Board:James D. Selvey of Brandon was reappointed to the Alafia River Basin Board. He is a real estate broker and the owner of Exit Realty Consultants. Selvey joined the Board March 1, 2002. This term began June 1, 2005 and ends March 1, 2008.Jean C. Tort of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Feb. 27 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

Whether they were operating structures, providing needed equipment or talking to citizens, staff members were busy the past month responding to the record rainfall received in parts of the District. The rain event affected nearly every department at the District. The record rain that occurred from July 26 to Aug. 7 had many employees working around the clock. And nearly daily rainfall in some parts of the District has continued to keep staff busy.  Robert… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 27 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting materials are… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 23 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting materials are… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 28 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting materials are… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 28 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting materials are… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 24, at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting materials are posted one… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 23 at 9 a.m. at the District's Sarasota Service Office, located at 6750 Fruitville Road. To view the Governing Board meeting online, visit Watermatters.org and click on the "Live Video Stream" link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.The meeting agenda and meeting… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has temporarily closed the Brogden Bridge airboat slide at Turner Camp Road in Citrus County due to required maintenance associated with the wooden deck. The slide is located between the Hernando and Inverness pools of the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes and is expected to be reopened by Nov. 17.Attempts to use the slide in its current condition could damage airboats.The District operates two additional airboat slides in… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is gathering input to improve the identification of flooding risks in the Braden River watershed in Manatee County.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Jan. 23 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

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the months of June, July and August for two District sites in Sarasota County — the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.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 far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of January through March for two District sites in Sarasota County — the Schewe Ranch and the Deer Prairie Creek properties.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 far southern boundary. The property is also located between the Myakka River and the cities of North Port… Read more