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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Deep Creek Preserve will be the site of a hog hunt Jan. 9-11. The tract will be temporarily closed to the public and only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these days.The property is located south of Peace River Street and east of Kings Highway in DeSoto County.The hunt is one of a series of hog hunts being held on District lands in an effort to control the damage being caused to the natural… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state's wildfire emergency last spring. That's why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns April through June on the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA) and the Chito Branch Reserve in Hillsborough County. The LHFDA is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through December at Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and Myakka River - Schewe Tract in Sarasota… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing board approved a joint land management plan with Sarasota County for the 6,439-acre Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which will allow for public access to the preserve.The preserve is in southeast Sarasota County within the Myakka River watershed. It is bordered by the Myakka River on the west, I-75 to the north and U.S. 41 to the south. The District and the county jointly purchased the land in April 2000.The… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (… Read more

Former District Governing Board Chairman Jeff Adams was recognized Tuesday for his service to the District. The District's current Governing Board members recognized Adams during its meeting, noting all the work he completed while serving on the Board. He was appointed to the District’s Governing Board in April 2010 representing Pinellas County. He served on the Board through May 2019 and as the Governing Board’s treasurer from 2012 through 2014,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:

• Phase 2 will include five hunts that occur January through February 2024.
• Permits are transferable.
• The single top producer on each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on…

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The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of March at two preserves in Hernando County.Approximately 400 acres at Weekiwachee Preserve will be burned in small, manageable units. The property is located west of US Highway 19 between Spring Hill and Hernando Beach. Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed burn events.Approximately 300 acres at Annuteliga… 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 Weekiwachee Preserve in Pasco County. The property is located north of Hudson west of US Highway 19 and includes the Aripeka Sandhills (Aripeka Road) tract. Approximately 50 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. The District will be also be conducting prescribed burns now through the month of December… 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 Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract. Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, is located between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which is located south and north of Interstate 75 just north of Deer… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency last year. That’s why the… Read more

An educational workshop on well construction issues will bring together District staff and well construction contractors on September 24 at District headquarters in Brooksville. Sandy Semegen, Brooksville field services supervisor, is facilitating the workshop. During the day, contractors will attend several education sessions, including enforcement and how the District handles cases of well contractor violation; online tools, taught by Steve Camp, professional… Read more

The Land Management Section of the "Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of October, November, and December on Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract. Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, is located between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which is located south and north of… Read more

The Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of October through March at two preserves in Hernando County.Approximately 400 acres at Weekiwachee Preserve will be burned in small, manageable units. The property is located west of US Highway 19 between Spring Hill and Hernando Beach. Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed burn events.Approximately 300 acres at… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency last year. That’s why the… Read more

They tackled topics that ranged from soils and forestry to aquatics and wildlife. Hundreds of students from several counties recently participated in the 2015 Nature Coast Regional Envirothon at Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Pasco County.  The competition is a problem-solving, natural resources education program for high school students allowing them to use critical-thinking skills to solve problems or conduct hands-on investigations about current… Read more

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September on the Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract (Gilley Creek) and Coker Prairie… Read more

The  Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Flying Eagle Nature Center in Citrus County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Oct. 31 through Nov. 2.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 20 permits for these hunts have been sold.Flying Eagle Nature Center is located at 12650 East Boy Scout Road in Inverness.This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to… Read more

Known for being a role model and a leader at the District, Roberta Starks has now received recognition from Hillsborough Community College (HCC). Starks was recognized at the college’s alumni award ceremony in December. The event, which was the first of its kind at HCC, honored 40 alumni in celebration of the college’s 40th anniversary. “The task for selecting only 40 remarkable alumni was a difficult one for our committee,” said Gwendolyn Stephenson, Ph.D., HCC… Read more

Left: Deborah Kynes, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council chair; Sallie Parks, Governing Board member; Kendra Antoine, senior communications coordinator; Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member; and Manny Pumariega, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council executive director, accept the Future of the Region Award for the “Hillsborough River Watershed Awareness Week” project. Right: Sallie Parks, Governing Board member; Kurt Zuelsdorf, Community Education Grant recipient… Read more