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Michael Babb will remain the chair of the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Governing Board voted today to keep its current officers.  The other officer positions are: Randy Maggard, vice chair; and Jeff Adams, secretary. David Dunbar was elected treasurer. They serve one-year terms.… Read more

Michael Babb will remain the chair of the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Governing Board voted today to keep its current officers.  The other officer positions are: Randy Maggard, vice chair; and Jeff Adams, secretary. David Dunbar was elected treasurer. They serve one-year terms.… Read more

Michael Babb will remain the chair of the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Governing Board voted today to keep its current officers.  The other officer positions are: Randy Maggard, vice chair; and Jeff Adams, secretary. David Dunbar was elected treasurer. They serve one-year terms.… Read more

Judy Whitehead, Governing Board chair and chair ex officio of the District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board, and her husband, Don, enjoy spending time with their grandsons, Pierson and Daniel. Judy Whitehead was surprised and gratified that her fellow Governing Board members thought enough of her to elect her as their chair. “I’m not particularly brilliant or knowledgeable. I’m just a small-town grandma,” she said. Despite her modesty, her fellow Board members… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to update flood hazard maps in DeSoto and Hardee counties.Governments, insurance companies and individuals all use FEMA flood insurance rate maps, or FIRMs, to identify flooding risk and to plan for potential flooding. With the updated flood maps, communities can better manage development in and around floodplains and prepare for and mitigate against flood disaster… Read more

Explore Florida’s Natural Wonders During Florida Hiking MonthFebruary is Florida Hiking Month, the perfect time to lace up your boots and hit the trails! With cooler weather and stunning landscapes, there’s no better season to explore the Sunshine State’s natural beauty. This year, we’re celebrating Florida’s hiking opportunities while highlighting the unique experiences these trails offer.

Left: From left, Linda Prescott, Hillsborough Community College professor, and District staff members Lenore Balden, senior human resources generalist; John Frascone, office support supervisor; Earl Rich; Elaine Kuligofski, human resources director; Gene Schiller, deputy executive director of management services; and Roberta Starks, water quality monitoring program manager. Right: Earl Rich (right), with Hillsborough Community College President Gwendolyn W. Stephenson,… Read more

Four Governing Board members have the opportunity to lead the Board this year; three of whom will be taking on new roles. Judith C. “Judy” Whitehead was unanimously elected to serve as Governing Board chair. She previously served as Board vice chair and looks forward to her new role. “We have a wonderful cross section of representation and I am grateful that such intelligent, cooperative people have been chosen to serve on the Board. I’m gratified that… Read more

Kurt Durham’s brother-in-law may have brought him to the District, but the familylike atmosphere at the District’s Sarasota Service Office keeps him here. In 1987, Jack MacDonald, who used to work in the District’s Regional Observation and Monitor-Well Program, called Durham and told him the District “was looking for bodies.” He applied even though he didn’t know anything about being a field technician. “When I started I was green as grass,”… Read more

Governing Board Chair Neil Combee The new Governing Board chair’s handshake is firm and dry, his gaze direct and steady. It’s easy to picture him as a linebacker at Lakeland High School, zeroing in on the opposing team’s running back. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It’s also easy to imagine him, after a crushing tackle, helping the guy up and then telling him a funny story after the game. If a person can be defined by place… Read more

 District staff and contractors discuss floodplain concerns with residents. Dozens of Hernando County residents who live in the Bystre Lake watershed recently attended an open house to learn more about potential flood risk changes to their properties. The residents had previously received letters from the District notifying them of the potential changes and invited them to the open house. This open house is just one in a series of public workshops being… Read more

The contribution of hundreds of District volunteers was celebrated in April with a Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Green Swamp West Field Office. “The District has been around since 1961,” said David Moore, District executive director. “We’ve been working with volunteers since the beginning. They are an important part of what we do.” Approximately 300 volunteers are involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program. More than 850 volunteers are… Read more

Hillsborough and Polk county residents and businesses that suffered damage during the "January 2010 freeze(January 2010 Dover/Plant City freeze event)":/frost-freeze.php between January 2 and February 1 can apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the "U.S. Small Business Administration(U.S. Small Business Administration)":http://www.sba.gov/.In March, Disaster Assessment Teams inspected homes and property near the Dover/Plant City area for "sinkhole damage(… Read more

Interactive Lessons, Grants, and Activities for Water Conservation EducationExplore a variety of engaging, water-focused educational tools designed to make learning fun and interactive for both teachers and students! From grants of up to $3,000 for freshwater education to hands-on activities and virtual watershed excursions, these resources cover key topics like the water cycle, watersheds… Read more

From floppy disks to flash drives to files in the cloud, technology has come a long way over 60 years at the District. “We have moved countless applications into the cloud environment. This will continue to increase over time,” said Tom Hughes, Information Technology Bureau chief. Where once nearly every District task was recorded on paper, most documents are now a digital file. But with this ease comes new security concerns which are constantly evolving to keep up… Read more