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The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pasco County are working together to gather input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in the county.The information will be used to update area floodplain information and develop preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are outdated because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board approved funding Thursday to build an observation deck at the Springs Coast Environmental Education Center.The deck was part of the center’s original plan, but was not built because of financial constraints. It is expected to cost $110,000. The Coastal Rivers Basin Board has budgeted $75,000 for the project. The remaining funds will come from the Hernando County School Board, which is… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of October through March on the Lake Panasoffkee Preserve in Sumter County. The property is located near Interstate 75 and State Road 44. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic natural fire cycles under… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, July 26, 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 video feed begins approximately 15 minutes… Read more

Joel Brown has joined the Southwest Florida Water Management District as a Government Affairs Program Manager.Brown will serve as a liaison between the District and the constituents of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. He will work closely with county governments, municipalities and community organizations.Prior to joining the District, Brown worked as West Central Florida Regional Manager for Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and the Department of… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of November and December on the Jack Creek Preserve in Highlands County. The property is located six miles northwest of Lake Placid, west of US Highway 27. Approximately 120 acres will be burned, in small manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic natural… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of November and December on the Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve in Charlotte County. The property is located to the west of US Highway 17, north of Shell Creek. Approximately 140 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of March on the Lake Panasoffkee Preserve in Sumter County. The property is located near Interstate 75 and State Road 44. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic natural fire cycles under a controlled… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of December on the Upper Hillsborough property in Polk County. The Upper Hillsborough property is located in the area of Chancy Rd. and S.R. 54 near Zephyrhills. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to… 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 January through March on the Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County.Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2 miles east of Dunnellon and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando and is bounded by County Road 484 on the north, State Road 200 on the southeast… Read more

_All District managed lands closed_The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Brooksville and Tampa offices, in addition to Bartow and Lake Hancock, will be closed tomorrow, Friday, October 7th.The closures are due to anticipated sustained tropical storm force winds associated with Hurricane Matthew. The District's Sarasota office is scheduled to be open regular hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. District staff should check the emergency hotline after 8 a.m.… 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 June through September on the Prairie Shell Creek Tract in Charlotte County. Prairie Shell Creek is located at 3081 Duncan Road (U.S. Highway 17) in Punta Gorda. Approximately 300 acres will be… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of September on the Upper Hillsborough property in Polk County. The Upper Hillsborough property is located in the area of Chancy Rd. and S.R. 54 near Zephyrhills. Approximately 200 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of September at the Conner Preserve in Pasco County. The property is located south of State Road 52 and east of U.S. 41 near the town of Land O' Lakes. Approximately 700 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic natural… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of August and September on the Jack Creek Preserve in Highlands County. The property is located six miles northwest of Lake Placid, west of US Highway 27. Approximately 100 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management supervisor, burns are implemented to mimic natural… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of August and September on the Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve in Charlotte County. The property is located to the west of US Highway 17, north of Shell Creek. Approximately 140 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management manager, burns are implemented to mimic natural fire… 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 June through September on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County. Deep Creek Preserve is located at 10797 Peace River Street in Arcadia, east of State Road 769. Approximately 600 acres will be… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), in cooperation with Hillsborough County, will hold a dedication event to celebrate the completion of the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project. This is the largest coastal habitat restoration project ever done in the history of Tampa Bay, with approximately 1,043 acres of uplands and wetlands. This project will help offset habitat losses suffered throughout Tampa Bay and will prove valuable for the public and… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of March, April, May, and June on the Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve in Charlotte County. The property is located to the west of US Highway 17, north of Shell Creek. Approximately 140 acres will be burned, in small, manageable units. According to Will VanGelder, the District's land management manager, burns are implemented to mimic… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host career and student internship fairs to share information about the many career fields and employment opportunities at the District.The fairs will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the District’s Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa and Aug. 30 at the District’s Brooksville Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The District offers a wide variety of… Read more