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District Study Reveals Record Seagrass Growth in Tampa Bay »
Scientists with the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program(SWIM)":/projects/swim/ recorded an 11 percent increase in seagrass growth in "Tampa Bay(SWIM Priority Water Body: Tampa Bay)":/projects/swim/tampabay.php since 2008, the largest increase in seagrass growth since the District began the seagrass mapping program. The "District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ study also shows gains in St.… Read more
Citrus County Home Meets Florida Water Star<SUP>SM</SUP> Gold Standard »
A Citrus County home was certified as "Florida Water StarSM Gold(Florida Water Star)":/conservation/florida_water_star by the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.The model home is the first in Citrus County to receive the water-saving certification. Built by Rusaw Homes by Pinecrest Building Corp., the model home is located in the county's Heritage subdivision. It is equipped with water-saving appliances and fixtures… Read more
Rainfall Summary Data by Region »
Rainfall summaries are available as spreadsheets for downloading to your computer. Summaries are tabulated by specific geographic areas, such as county or drainage basin boundaries, for that portion of the geographic area within SWFWMD boundaries. Each page within a spreadsheet shows period-of-record rainfall totals in inches (based on area-weighted average values) for 1915 through the previous calendar year by month, wet season, dry season, calendar year, or water year.… Read more
Seagrass Increases in Sarasota Bay, Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor »
h2. *_Charlotte Harbor Shows Rebound After 2008 Decline_*Scientists with the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program(SWIM)":/projects/swim/ have recorded increases in seagrass presence in Lemon Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor over the past two years.According to the "District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ 2010 seagrass mapping study, seagrass acreage in the three water bodies has… Read more
Two Marion County Homes Earn the Florida Water Star<SUP>SM</SUP> Silver Designation »
Two Ocala homes were certified in December as "Florida Water StarSM Silver(Florida Water Star)":/conservation/florida_water_star by the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.The homes are the first in Marion County to receive the water-saving certification. Located in the Renaissance neighborhood of Ocala's On Top of the World development, they are equipped with water-efficient appliances and fixtures. "Florida-Friendly… Read more
Water restrictions remain in place »
Tampa Bay Water service area remains at highest alert levelThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted to continue the Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions for potable water use in the Tampa Bay Water service area until July 31, 2009.The Board also voted to extend Phase III restrictions for Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties until July 31, 2009 and to extend the Phase II restrictions for the remaining… Read more
Florida Water Star<SUP>SM</SUP> homes win regional awards »
Three area homes certified as "Florida Water StarSM Gold(Florida Water Star Gold)":/conservation/florida_water_star_gold by the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ won "Aurora Awards(Southeast Building Conference Aurora Awards)":http://www.theauroras.com for their water saving features at the 2010 "Southeast Building Conference(Southeast Building Conference & Green Building Show)":http://www.sebcshow.com in Orlando… Read more
Rainbow River »
 Highlights
  • Home to the fourth largest spring in the state of Florida, Rainbow Springs
  • Discharges an average of 493 million gallons of water per day into the Withlacoochee River
  • Designated an Outstanding Florida Water and an Aquatic Preserve
  • Located in Marion and Citrus counties
  • 73-square-mile watershed
ChallengesThe main challenge facing Rainbow River is the rapid growth experienced within its watershed. This growth is… Read more
Manatee County teachers receive mini-grants for water resources education projects »
Sixteen Manatee County teachers are among the record number of educators who applied for and received Splash! mini-grants through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This year the District awarded Splash! mini-grants to 209 educators totaling more than $413,000. That’s 72 more grant recipients than last year.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the increase in awardees to an increase in promotion among the District’s school… Read more
Summer Adventure »
This July, 70 kids from the Boys &Girls Club of Hernando County climbed on board buses to spend half a day at Weekiwachee Preserve as part of a special field trip. The children ranged in age from 5 to 13. The field trip proposal began when Will Miller, District land use and protection manager, approached Yvonne Krajcovic, executive director from the Boys &Girls Club, about the idea. “I contacted several youth organizations, including the Boys &Girls… Read more
District Awards Grants to Schools in Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion and Sumter Counties for Water Resources Education Projects »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $107,969 in grants to 58 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12. Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through… Read more
Highlands County pilot project to increase efficiency of Sebring irrigation systems »
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us "Peace River Basin Board(Peace River Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/peace.php has partnered with the "Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District(Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District)":http://www.highlandsswcd.org/ to help homeowners improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems.The pilot project involves bringing a "mobile… Read more
Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) »
Florida law requires establishment of minimum flows and levels of water bodies to prevent significant harm associated with water withdrawals.Program overviewFlorida law (Chapter 373.042, Florida Statutes) requires the state water management… Read more
Southwest Florida Water Management District deputy executive director appointed to national advisory committee »
Eugene Schiller, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s deputy executive director of management services, has been selected to serve on the Department of the Interior’s National Geospatial Advisory Committee for a two-year term effective immediately. Schiller was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, to represent regional government.Schiller is among 28 individuals chosen by panelists from various federal agencies. More than… Read more
Manatee County teachers awarded grants for water resources education projects »
Twenty Manatee County teachers and one private school teacher are among the educators who were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.This year 206 "Splash! grants(Splash! School Grants)":/education/schoolgrants were awarded to educators across "the District's 16-county region":/data/map.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant… Read more
Crystal River/Kings Bay »
 Highlights
  • Tidally influenced Kings Bay is the headwater of Crystal River
  • Hydrologically unique springs system comprised of more than 30 springs
  • Designated an Outstanding Florida Water
  • Located in Citrus County
  • 364-square-mile watershed
  • Kings Bay forms the largest, natural warm-water refuge for the Florida Manatee in the United States.
ChallengesTwo main challenges exist in the Crystal River/Kings Bay watershed:… Read more
Polk County Water School Educates Public »
How much water does Polk County use? Where does the county get its supply? What resource alternatives are available? These are just some of the questions tackled at the Polk County Water School. The seven-week course educates the public on key water issues to encourage improved public policy decisions. “We deliver science-based information to help citizens of Polk County make informed decisions,” said Nicole Walker, the county extension director at the UF/IFAS Polk… Read more
Lakeland Commercial Property Reduces Water Use by 70 Percent »
A Lakeland business saved thousands of gallons of water and paid a smaller utility bill in its first year by constructing its new headquarters to "Florida Water StarSM(Florida Water Star)":/conservation/florida_water_star standards.Kyra InfoTech, an information technology consulting, project outsourcing and staffing organization headquartered in Lakeland, used 70 percent of the water a comparable business in the area used, according to Ruffin Gray, environmental coordinator… Read more
First FARMS project in District's northern region will help improve water quality in the Withlacoochee River »
A Southwest Florida Water Management District project will help a Citrus County blueberry farm improve water quality.This project is part of the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program, which is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The program began by funding projects within the District’s eight southern counties and has expanded to include projects within the entire District… Read more