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The Southwest Florida Water Management District is updating the Surface Water Improvement and Management, or SWIM, plan for Sarasota Bay, a priority water body. The SWIM program evaluates priority water bodies, identifies potential problems and implements projects to improve water quality and natural systems.At the public meeting, District staff will give a presentation about Sarasota Bay and the draft report for updating the SWIM plan. The public will have an opportunity to…

From left: Teens pitch in to clean up the Hillsborough River; center: District staff were ready to answer questions during the post cleanup picnic; right: Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member and chair ex officio of the Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board, joined in with volunteers. This November more than 1,000 volunteers descended upon the banks of the Hillsborough River and other Tampa waterways as part of the 19th Annual Mayor’s Hillsborough River…

Top: David Moore, District executive director, talks to Pasco County students before the ceremony. Bottom: Rep. Will Weatherford and Ronald Oakley, Governing Board member, discuss land preservation. The District and more than 150 members of the community celebrated the grand opening of Conner Preserve in January. The District purchased the 2,980-acre property in 2003 to preserve and restore this important natural…

Editor’s note: See below for map of county and watershedsThe Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hernando 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…

Homeowners and gardening enthusiasts are invited to “play in the dirt” at the third annual Florida Yard Fandango March 8-9 at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI.)The goal of the Fandango is to promote Florida-friendly landscaping and lawn maintenance because it is beautiful and saves water, time and energy.This year the gardening event has grown to two days. The first day features gardening classes and a plant auction. Participants have the opportunity to…

Hundreds of volunteers were honored this weekend for the valuable contribution they have made to help improve public lands and restore Tampa Bay.The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Volunteer Appreciation Day, which was held at the Green Swamp West Field Office, featured an awards presentation, exhibits, live music, a picnic lunch and a nature hike.Approximately 300 volunteers are involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program. More…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will reopen all District managed campgrounds throughout our 16-county region on Wednesday, June 14, due to increased rainfall and the reduced threat of wildfire. The District closed these properties in April during Florida's wildfire emergency event. The following District managed campgrounds will be reopened:

• Cypress Creek Preserve
• Deep Creek Preserve
• Flying Eagle Preserve…

Who: Suncoast Earth Force, Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, educators and approximately 600 students from Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas countiesWhat: 8th Annual Youth SummitThe annual summit is sponsored by Suncoast Earth Force, a Tampa Bay-area nonprofit educational organization.The summit brings together hundreds of youth, educators and community partners who have been involved in Earth Force programs during the past year. It is a day of education and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, June 21, 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 live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes…

Editor's note: See last page for map of county and watersheds The Southwest Florida Water Management District is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in the county. The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on their 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 are outdated because of…

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…

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…

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…

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 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 burned in small, manageable units.Some major benefits of…

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 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 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units.Some major benefits of…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…