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  In response to this year’s destructive freeze, the District is taking proactive measures to prepare for similar events in the future. From January 3–13, 2010, for the first time in recorded history, temperatures in eastern Hillsborough County dropped below 34 degrees for 11 consecutive days. As a result, area farmers pumped nearly one billion gallons of groundwater per night to protect their crops. This combined pumping dropped the aquifer level 60 feet,… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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.… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

 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… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored three outstanding Hillsborough County projects that focused on water resources education. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.

• Diane King and Brad Jackson, Valrico Elementary School teachers, were recognized for their project, “Cycles of Life.” As part of a 2006-2007 Splash! mini-…

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The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Kristen Russell-Milford, an Inverness Primary School teacher, for her students’ outstanding water resources education project. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.Through Russell-Milford’s project, “Water is Part of the Solution,” Inverness Primary School students learned about Florida-… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized the Marion County 10th Annual Master Gardener Spring Festival 2004 as an outstanding water resources education program.Approximately 9,000 people attended this Florida-friendly landscaping event, which is organized by the Marion County Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program. Information on proper plant material, water conservation and water quality materials was distributed. More than 1,000 people also… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored six outstanding Polk County projects that focused on water resources education. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.The Polk County recipients are listed below. Portions of Polk County are represented by each of these District Basin Boards, Alafia River, Hillsborough River, and Peace River.Scott Nelson, a… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is celebrating the signing of the 300th establishment to participate in the District’s award-winning Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.)The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa became the 300th establishment to come on board with Water C.H.A.M.P., the District’s linens and towels reuse program. By implementing the program, the hotel or motel management agrees to… Read more

Won-Seok Kim, University of South Florida graduate student, second from left; Jeff Cunningham, USF assistant professor, third from left; and Anthony Andrade, District senior water conservation analyst, fourth from left, meet with the South Korean delegation at the USF Marshall Student Center. A delegation from the Environmental Research Institute of South Korea, the country’s equivalent of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, toured Pinellas County, Dunedin… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored four outstanding Manatee County projects that focused on water resources education. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.The Manatee County recipients are listed below. Manatee County is in the District’s Manasota Basin, which also includes Sarasota County.Gail Scout with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,… Read more

Marion County students at two schools will study the issues surrounding our freshwater resources thanks to "Splash! school grants":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The Marion County awardees are:* Thomas Allison, *Dunnellon Middle*, was awarded $2,390. Students will visit the Withlacoochee and Rainbow rivers to test water quality. Students will learn how human actions affect the flora and fauna on the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a modification to the water use permit (WUP) for Marion County Utilities.The modification to the existing water use permit increases quantities for public supply to an interconnected service area along State Road 200, Dunnellon Airport and JB Ranch. The new permit is for an annual average quantity of 3,774,000 gallons per day (gpd), which is an increase of 454,925 gpd or 13.7 percent.The… Read more

March 2023 Q: Why is it important to use best practices when visiting rivers and springs? A:  The District has found direct links between river recreational use and environmental damage. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the river have trampled vegetation and eroded riverbanks and sand point bars. Also, numerous trees have been damaged from climbing and rope swinging. Over time, these actions can have negative long-term… Read more

A building at the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Tampa Service Office(Google map)":http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=7601+US+301,+Tampa,+FL+33637, is the first water management district building to be certified under the "Florida Water StarSM(Florida Water Star)":/conservation/florida_water_star commercial standard. It's also only the second government building in the state to be certified.Building 2 on… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on Shell and Prairie creeks upstream of the Henderson Dam during the week of November 16-20. 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 water should not be used for drinking, watering livestock… Read more

Your Questions Answered October 2020 If you received your property tax assessments recently, you may have noticed a line item from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District.) The District manages the water resources through a variety of activities that support water supply, water quality, flood protection and natural systems. The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Budget Manager Mike Cacioppo explains how your tax dollars… Read more