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A cooperatively funded project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Sarasota County will develop a computer model to determine how much pollution is entering the countys surface waters.The model will estimate how much pollution will result from proposed land development designs, estimate the effectiveness of projects, and relate pollutant loads to water quality. This model will help the District and the county with efforts to improve the water quality…

The cooler months of January and February are the perfect time to train your lawn to need less water. During cooler temperatures, grass does not need as much water. Research has found your lawn only needs approximately ½” to ¾” of water every other week during the winter. Additionally, you should stick to watering your lawn only when it needs it. Some signs that your lawn needs water:

• grass blades are folding in half on 30% of your lawn.
• …

From top: (1) The restoration site prior to the cleanup. (2) Raymond Chen and other volunteers show off the coins he found. (3) Using a track hoe, Jason Wadsworth of J. D. Sunny Isle removes exotics. (4) Lisa Henningsen, District staff environmental scientist, and Bill Lewelling, District hydrologist, stand near a dumpster of trash collected during the cleanup. Eighty-five people answered the call for volunteers to help remove mountains of tires, television…

Extremely low water supplies in storage as region enters dry seasonThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to tighten water restrictions for all of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.The Governing Board has enacted these additional measures at the request of Tampa Bay Water, the region’s wholesale water supplier. Tampa Bay Water requested the District’s assistance because its water supplies have not returned to…

Your Questions Answered  January 2022 Q: What is a prescribed burn? A: A prescribed burn, also known as a prescribed fire or a controlled burn, is a fire intentionally ignited by land managers to meet specific land management goals. The burns follow a written prescription which outlines: the defined fire treatment area, goals and objectives of the burn, specific weather conditions that are required, the tactics staff will use,…

h3. Old World climbing fern threatening the Green SwampWith threats from new invasive plants and animal species continuing to rise in Florida, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is battling to keep a new invasive vine from infesting the "Green Swamp(Interactive Green Swamp)":/education/interactive/greenswamp/greenswamp.html."Old World climbing fern(Old World Climbing Fern)":/projects/invasives/old-world-fern.php…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents to turn off their irrigation systems after this weekend’s rain.Outdoor water use can account for up to fifty percent of residential water use.“Many homeowners have a rain sensor shut-off device, which can be programmed to shut off an irrigation system when half an inch of rain has fallen,” said Sylvia Durell, Florida-friendly landscaping project manager. “Those homeowners who don’t have one should…

With the hustle and bustle of the season, there’s one thing residents can skip on their “to do” list watering their lawns.Faced with an increasingly severe drought, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to “skip a week” during the cooler months to save water.“Over-watering makes your lawn less drought tolerant and can encourage disease and pests,” said Sylvia Durell,…

It’s official. District employees in Tampa now have a new home. While the subject of maintaining flood control structures caught the nation’s attention after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, structures have always been at the top of the District’s priorities. Flood protection is one of the District’s areas of responsibility. The District’s goal is to minimize the potential for damage from floods by protecting and restoring the natural water storage and…

TheSumter County Extension Office will receive a $5,000 Community Education Grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District for its “Watering Smart- Living Green in The Villages” project.This project will target new residents of The Villages. Each month, 60 to 80 new residents will attend irrigation awareness workshops and receive hands-on instruction in setting and maintaining their sprinkler systems. Additional residents will be reached through a…

Check for LeaksLeaks inside your toilet can waste up to 200 gallons per day. Some leaks are silent, some produce a running water sound and others may be visible as a small trickle running from the rim to the water in the bowl.To detect silent leaks, remove toilet tank lid and any colored cleaning agents. Make sure there is only clear water in the bowl to start. Add dye tablets, leak detector fluid or a few drops of food coloring to the tank. If the tank is leaking, color…

Three Citrus County projects expected to reach up to 167,000 people were awarded Community Education Grants from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/. This year the District approved 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $120,471. This is the 14th year "Community Education Grants(Community Education Grant program)":/business/communitygrants have been available. These grants offer reimbursement up to $5,000 to help…

At a time when most news reports about the economy are negative, a District program is providing a boon to the local economy. A project funded through the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) Program, a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and improves water quality, created work for ten local contractors and subcontractors. The project involved the design, permitting and construction of a five-acre surface water…

Improving communication between the District and the more than 190 public supply utilities in the region is the focus of a new utility outreach program that officially kicked off this summer. This outreach program provides tremendous benefit to utilities by offering District tools, programs and resources that can help them meet the District’s regulatory requirements, conserve water and save money. The need for strengthened communication was identified last year…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David L. Moore today declared a modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage which restricts lawn watering to one-day-per-week throughout the 16-county District.The restrictions apply to the use of water from public and private water utilities as well as the use of all wells and surface water sources (ponds, rivers, etc.). The order goes into effect January 16 and remains in place until July 31 unless otherwise…

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management Districts Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board and the City of Clearwater will improve water quality, reduce erosion and increase flood protection along the Stevensons Creek Watershed.The watershed encompasses an area of approximately 10 square miles in western Pinellas that includes the cities of Dunedin and Clearwater.This multi-year project will allow the implementation of the Best Management Practices (BMPs)…