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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) successfully collaborated with the City of Mulberry to approve a new conservation ordinance based on Florida Water Star℠ (FWS) standards. FWS is a water conservation certification program…

The District celebrated successful water conservation education grant projects and recognized the volunteers that make them happen at the spring conference, “Water Conservation: Reflect, Connect, Celebrate.” Approximately 140 people involved with school and community water conservation education grant projects participated in the conference, held at the Pinellas County Extension office in Largo. Besides recognizing successful projects and volunteers, District…

District Lands Offer New Features New trail maps and other information have been added to the kiosks on District properties to enrich the experience for guests. The new trail maps were created for 16 of the District’s most popular properties using detailed information including global positioning coordinates. The maps are part of an ongoing effort to update information at District properties. In recent years, land use specialists marked District trails using an…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday modified two water use permits (WUPs) for Marion County Utilities to meet projected increases in water use. Both permits are achieving a per capita rate of 150 gallons per person per day.Marion OaksThe Marion Oaks WUP combines and modifies two public supply permits and increases the permitted quantities. The 91-acre Marion Oaks service area is approximately eight miles southwest of…

Fifty-one Hillsborough County teachers and three private school teachers are among the educators who were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.This year 206 "Splash! grants(Splash! School Grants)":/education/schoolgrants were awarded to educators across "the District's 16-county region":/data/map.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness…

Overview Applicants will be asked to break this down in more detail in the application. Students will work together to test various water quality parameters and conduct a macroinvertebrate sampling at locations along the Hillsborough River. To determine a healthy ecosystem, students will work in groups and use different monitoring tools to collect data on the river’s temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and nutrient levels. Students…

As director of the Resource Management Division, Jennette Seachrist oversees the bureaus that plan, develop and implement District water resource management initiatives concerning water supply, flood protection, natural systems and water quality. The initiatives include water supply planning and development of alternative water supplies, such as conservation…

Your Questions Answered January 2020 The Weeki Wachee River has been a popular site for recreational activities for many years. Recently, both public and private stakeholders agreed to take a closer look at what steps should be taken now to ensure the waterway is protected for years to come. Randy Smith, Natural Systems & Restoration Bureau Chief for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, explains the results of the recently…

As chief of the Natural Systems and Restoration Bureau, Randy Smith oversees several District water quality and natural systems initiatives and programs within the Resource Management Division. His key responsibilities include providing leadership to the Environmental Flows and Levels Section, the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program, and the Resource Management Division Business Support Section.Smith has worked at the District for more than 19 years. He…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with Manatee County Utilities to help their customers save money and conserve water by providing rebates to customers who replace their high-volume toilets.Residential, commercial and industrial customers within the Manatee County Utilities service area, which includes western unincorporated Manatee County and the cities of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, are eligible to participate in the rebate…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is kicking off a water conservation campaign called "Every Drop Counts!(/Every Drop Counts!)":/EveryDropCounts on USF's Tampa campus. District officials estimate that the average person in this region uses 111 gallons of water per day. The program offers ideas for college students to reduce their use in every day activities. The District says they are not asking people to go…

Hotels and motels in both Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa saved 35 million gallons of water during 2004 while participating in the Southwest Florida Water Management District water conservation program known as Water C.H.A.M.P. or Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program.Based on City of Tampa and Hillsborough County potable water rates, that translates into more than $180,000 in savings per year to participating hoteliers.The Water C.H.A.M.P. is a “linens…

Nineteen Pasco County teachers are among the educators who were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.This year 206 "Splash! grants(Splash! School Grants)":/education/schoolgrants were awarded to educators across "the District's 16-county region":/data/map.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Pasco County to the…

During the summer months of June, July, August and September in Florida, yards need no more than ½ to ¾ inch of water every 2 to 3 days, which includes both rainfall and irrigation. The frequency and duration of watering will depend on several factors, such as the type of grass, soil conditions and local weather patterns. Here are some general guidelines:How often can I water my lawn?If your lawn hasn't received enough water from rainfall, watering…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a water shortage emergency for the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority’s reservoir and two Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wellfields to help protect the drinking water supply for over 250,000 residents.Executive orderSWF 07-045 signed Monday by Richard Owen, deputy executive director of the District’s Division of Resource…

Whether you are a casual viewer or an avid birder working on your life birding list, bird-watching opportunities abound on all District lands. Sites with the best bird-watching opportunities are part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and are listed in the column on the right side of this page. Maps of the west coast portion of the trail can be obtained from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission web site at…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is building upon the success of its award-winning Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water CHAMP) by launching a new companion program for restaurants.The program, known as the Water Program for Restaurant Outreach (Water PRO), is being launched to coincide with National Tourism Week, May 10-18.A restaurant uses an average of 5,800 gallons of water per day, which equals more than two million gallons of water per year.…