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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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

Many residents in the District experienced a wetter-than-average 2015 and more could be on the way for 2016. Most counties saw annual rainfall totals above historical averages, although only Pinellas and Hillsborough received above normal amounts. Pinellas, with nearly 60 inches last year, received the most rain among the District’s county averages.  That’s partly because of record rain that occurred from July, 26 2015 to Aug. 7, 2015, which brought historic… Read more

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.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has teamed up with the City of St. Petersburg to help restaurants conserve water by replacing the pre-rinse spray valves on dishwashing equipment.The St. Petersburg Spray Valve Replacement Project will replace approximately 500 conventional high water use spray valves at no cost to the establishment. Pre-rinse valves are used to clean food from dishes, utensils, and pots and pans. Conventional pre-rinse spray valves use from 2… Read more

1. Summary

Students will complete a unit on fresh waterways and the native life that lives there. They will complete computer research, make observations and collect data, graph data collected, and complete a STEAM project on the natural filtration systems in Florida, mainly focusing on swamplands. They will then compete the Myakka Mysteries field trip. At the Myakka River State Park, students will explore the Myakka River and the surrounding wetlands,…

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Super Saver Some Hillsborough County and Tampa hotels and motels participating in the District’s Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (C.H.A.M.P.) received special recognition at a recent Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association’s monthly meeting. Heidi McCree, Governing Board Vice-Chair and Hillsborough River Basin Board Chair ex officio, congratulated the participants for taking an active role in conserving water. During 2004 while participating… Read more

From June through November, we live nervously here in Florida. Why? Energy and water from the tropics can venture toward the southeastern U.S. in gigantic, spinning storms we call “hurricanes.” Hurricanes have been in the news a lot lately. They can be very destructive, but they’re also part of the natural cycle in Florida. Of course, no one wants to be part of a natural cycle that includes storm surges, massive waves, devastating flooding and winds… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management’s Peace River Basin Board honored students and teachers from Lakeland Christian School and Barbara Carlton for their commitment to water resources.The board presented the students and teachers from Lakeland Christian School with a Water Stewardship Award and Carlton with a special recognition award.The board chose the Lakeland Christian School’s “Water Wiseguys” project to receive the Water Stewardship Award… Read more

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… Read more

 Dave Eggers, Dunedin mayor-elect; Lou Kavouras, District deputy executive director; Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member; Carl Krave, Pocket Neighborhoods, Inc. president; and Sallie Parks, Governing Board treasurer, celebrate the first property to receive the Florida Water Star℠ Gold certification. Right: High-efficiency fixtures and a tankless water heater are featured in the home. District Governing Board members and staff recently launched the… Read more

Project OverviewIt removed accumulated sediments from targeted areas of the river to re-establish historic river depths where these sediments had covered natural habitats. Sedimentation alters the river channel structure, reducing passage for manatees and other animals. It can also smother beneficial submerged aquatic vegetation and other important habitats.  Accumulated sediments were removed using hand-dredging, which includes divers vacuuming sediments… Read more

White Papers White papers are authoritative reports or guides that help identify or solve a problem. White papers educate readers and help people make decisions. The District uses white paper research to synthesize research regarding barriers and benefits associated with target behaviors that influence water conservation and water quality. These white papers include programs that have been implemented promoting these behaviors along with strategy suggestions.… Read more

The District has many last-minute gift and decorating ideas that can save and protect water resources and create new holiday traditions. Here are some gift ideas:  • Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water and an inexpensive gift when you pick one up at a local extension office. • Compost bins provide nutrients for a garden and keep food scraps out of the garbage disposal. A garbage disposal uses up to 4 gallons of water per minute. • Raised garden… Read more

With the arrival of the holiday season, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has many gift and decorating ideas that can save and protect water resources and create new holiday traditions.Here are some gift ideas:* Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water and an inexpensive gift when you pick one up at a local extension office.* Compost bins provide nutrients for a garden and keep food scraps out of the garbage disposal. A garbage disposal uses up to 4… Read more