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March 2025Q: Why does fertilizing my lawn responsibly matter?A: More than 1,000 new residents move to Florida daily, many of whom take pride in maintaining beautiful lawns along with long-time Floridians. However, fertilizers contain nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which, in excess amounts, can harm Florida’s natural water systems. Excess nutrients from fertilizers can wash into lakes, rivers, springs, estuaries and other water… Read more
Did you know that each person in our region uses an average of 72 gallons of water each day? That’s a lot of water down the drain! April is Water Conservation Month, a perfect time for homeowners to reflect on their water use. Here are some simple yet effective ways to save water both inside and outside your home.… Read more
During the summer months of June, July, August and September, yards need no more than ½ to ¾ inch of water every 2 to 3 days. If your lawn has received enough water from rainfall, turn off your irrigation system, and turn it back on when needed. Follow these tips when you "watch the weather, wait to water":Water only when your yard needs it
- The simplest way to determine if your yard needs water is to look for these visual clues:
- Grass blades are…
Water 101 for Communities Welcome community leaders! As decision makers, your choices – from when to irrigate to which plumbing fixtures you use - can have significant impacts on your community’s water use. That’s why we’re here to help by teaching best practices with online classes for your employees, offering educational material for you and your communities and sharing water-saving project reimbursement opportunities.Online Water Conservation Classes The… Read more
1. Summary
Our grant will continue the flower, herb and vegetable gardening we started two years ago in containers by transitioning to in-ground gardening utilizing drip irrigation. Students in our Enrichment Learning Program — grades three, four and five — will continue to maintain this project by preparing, planting, maintaining and harvesting produce. As part of the process students will prepare the ground, plan and setup a drip irrigation…Read more
Fixing leaks and installing a few inexpensive water-saving devices in your home could save up to 20,000 gallons of water each year.If you use utility or county water, your efforts could cut your monthly water and sewer bill in half. Unless your house was built after 1995, you probably have pre-conservation era plumbing that guzzles water. Fixing leaks and replacing old plumbing fixtures with water-saving models are two easy ways to conserve water and save money at the same… Read more
1. Summary
This grant is being written on behalf of three overlapping groups of students: AP Environmental Science (APES) students, AP Biology students, and members of our Keep Our School Beautiful Club (KOSB), which focuses on environmental stewardship. As part of a collaborative learning unit, students will investigate water quality throughout the Hillsborough River Watershed by developing a data profile of water quality as it moves through natural…Read more
The Southern Planning Region encompasses approximately 2,465 square miles, covering all of DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties and the portion of Charlotte County that lies within the District. Land-use types range from urban/built-up areas such as the cities of Bradenton and Sarasota to predominantly agricultural land uses in the inland portions of Charlotte and Manatee counties. This planning region is located within the… Read more
April 2024Q: What is Florida-Friendly Landscaping™? A: Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ is a set of nine guiding principles which help protect natural resources and preserve Florida’s unique beauty. A Florida-friendly landscape is beautiful yet saves water and protects the environment too.Q: What are the nine guiding principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™? A: The nine guiding principles of Florida-Friendly… Read more
December 2024Q: What is FARMS?A: The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems, or FARMS program for short, is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and protect water quality in the springs. The program is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper… Read more
Your Questions Answered
December 2019
Florida’s climate makes it ideal for growing a wide variety of crops, which makes the state’s agricultural industry one of the strongest in the country. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) believes working with the agricultural community to conserve water through our Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems or FARMS program is essential to help ensure future water supplies.… Read more
The Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program, or Water CHAMPSM, is a free towel and linen reuse program that encourages hotel and motel guests to use their towels and linens more than once during their stay.
Tourists flock to Florida to enjoy the sandy beaches, scenic lakes and meandering rivers. Water CHAMP lodging facilities protect Florida's water resources by conserving water and reducing pollutants entering the environment.
You can help keep… Read more
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved an agreement between the District and the St. Johns River Water Management District that will provide uniform lawn and landscape irrigation measures throughout unincorporated Marion County. The measures address both drought and normal conditions.Marion County is divided between the two water management districts, with the boundary roughly being Interstate 75. The two agencies currently… Read more
Year-Round Water Conservation Measures in Effect Districtwide
The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board is allowing once-per-week watering and other stringent water restrictions in the District's northern region to expire on Oct. 1, 2017. This region includes Citrus, Hernando, Sumter and portions of Lake, Levy and Marion counties.
All 16-counties throughout the District's boundaries are now on year-round water… Read more
Hunting »
Feral Hog Hunts2024–2025 Feral Hog Hunts information is now available.Learn about obtaining permits for the 2024–2025 hog hunts on District lands. Registration starts October 1. If you plan on applying for a permit, add WaterMatters.org/HogHunts to your browser’s favorites or bookmarks.… Read more
August 2023Q: What is FARMS?A: The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems, or FARMS program for short, is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and promote resource sustainability. The program is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan… Read more
The District and the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) recently issued a joint response to concerns expressed by regulated interests regarding implementation of these permitting criteria. This response is summarized below:
- The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), following the direction of the Department of Environmental Protection (Department), has informed permit applicants that stormwater discharges contributing to…