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The District purchased Boat Spring located near the Gulf of Mexico at the Hernando and Pasco County line. The purchase is part of the District’s ongoing effort to protect water resources. The spring is part of the Hammock Creek spring system, a second-magnitude system. It includes Boat, Magnolia, and Aripeka 1 and 2 springs, which all flow into Hammock Creek that connects with the Gulf of Mexico. The property also includes the spring run from Magnolia Spring. The District…

April 2025Q: What is a spring?A: A spring occurs when groundwater that is under pressure flows through natural cracks in the aquifer and creates a natural opening in the ground. The pressure causes the water to flow from the aquifer to the earth’s surface. Our groundwater is the result of seasonal rainfall that soaks into the ground and into the aquifer. Springs can occur as an individual vent but more often as many…

Description: There is a place in the middle of the state, far from either coast, where people can go to experience the unaltered natural beauty of central Florida. The 51,000-acre East Tract of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve offers visitors the ability to hike, hunt, bike, camp or fish in a rare wilderness full of local flora and fauna. The Green Swamp East Tract, which stretches across Sumter, Lake, and Polk counties, contains a variety of habitat types —…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ approved the acquisition of "Boat Spring," which is part of a second magnitude spring system, located in the historic community of Aripeka, on the Gulf of Mexico at the Hernando and Pasco County line. The Hammock Creek spring system includes Boat, Magnolia, Aripeka 1 and 2 springs which all flow into Hammock Creek that connects with the Gulf of Mexico. The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be spot treating infestations of water hyacinth and water lettuce on the Braden River Aug. 3-7. The portion of the river that will be treated is located south of State Road 70 in Manatee County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be spot treating infestations of water hyacinth and water lettuce on the Braden River June 15-19. The portion of the river that will be treated is located south of State Road 70 in Manatee County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on portions of the Peace River during the weeks of June 8-12 and June 15-19.District staff will treat the portion of the river from Bartow to Ft. Meade during June 8-12. The portion of the river from Ft. Meade to Zolfo Springs will be treated during June 15-19.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be spot treating infestations of water hyacinth and water lettuce on the Braden River Aug. 18-22. The portion of the river that will be treated is located south of State Road 70 in Manatee County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be spot treating infestations of water hyacinth and water lettuce on the Braden River July 28-31. The portion of the river that will be treated is located south of State Road 70 in Manatee County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river…

For the past 60 years, the District has worked to protect water resources and ensure the public’s water needs are met. But as Florida’s population continues to grow, it will take careful planning and innovative new ideas to ensure the state’s water supply. An estimated 1,000 people move to Florida each day, and Florida will need an additional one billion gallons per day by 2040. The water supply is not endless, so legislators passed the Clean Waterways Act in 2020, which…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is offering six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and parties without running up your water bill. During the holidays, water plays a role in everything from food preparation to the clean-up process. Here's how to incorporate water conservation into your holiday preparations:

• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water over them.
• Rinse…

Tougher Restrictions Aim to Conserve Dwindling Water Supplies Faced with the impacts from an ongoing, three-year drought, the District’s Governing Board enacted its strongest water shortage restrictions in February and March to address water needs while protecting the water resources. Seven of the counties within the District’s 16-county region are now under critical or extreme water shortage alerts. The District identifies four possible levels of water shortage,…

Sixty-six school teachers across the District’s 16-county region will teach issues surrounding our freshwater resources with the help of Splash! school grants from the District. The goal of the Splash! school grant program is to provide teachers with funding to enhance student knowledge of topics that meet the District’s core mission and teach students about their local watersheds, water conservation, quality and supply. Splash! school grants provide up to $3,000 per…

The Dunnellon Homeschool Club will share information it learned about protecting and conserving our water resources with the community at a workshop Thursday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m.The workshop, which is being held at the Dunnellon Public Library meeting room, 20351 Robinson Road. in Dunnellon, will discuss current events impacting our water supply, the aquifer and other natural systems, and water conservation methods, including Florida-friendly landscaping and rain barrels.…

Polk County residents are invited to celebrate Earth Day with “Water, Wings and Wild Things,” a family event being held Saturday at IMC Park, next to the Bartow Civic Center.The celebration, which is from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., will feature environmental presentations, exhibits and educational displays. The displays will highlight Polk County’s environmental resources, plants, animals and water conservation.Participants who answer water conservation…

Hold Back The Rain     Gene Farley’s days are spent watching and listening for signs of trouble. Farley is the “structures guy,” otherwise known as the Structure Controls Supervisor, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Farley is the man who makes the decision when to open or close one of the 80 water conservation and flood control structures the District operates and maintains in the 16-county area of west-central Florida. While…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to modify the tightened turfgrass restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, which will allow builders to sod and residents to replace lawns under a specific set of conditions.District staff met with members of the sod industry last week to discuss solutions to the extreme water shortage in the Tampa Bay area as well as the serious economic conditions affecting the sod…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinths and water lettuce on portions of the Withlaccochee River June 20-23.Two sections of the river will be treated. The first site is located between State Road 41 and State Road 200 in Citrus and Marion counties. The second site is located between State Road 44 and the Wysong Coogler Adjustable Water Conservation Structure in Citrus and Sumter counties.Treatment involves the spot application of the…

 Roger Araya spent several weeks with the Resource Conservation and Data Department collecting water samples and learning about water quality. While many high school students spend their summer breaks doing anything but preparing for their futures, Roger Araya chose to plunge headfirst into the world of water resources. A recent graduate of Arenal Guanacaste High School in Costa Rica, Araya received some hands-on experience as a temporary addition to the…