Search Content

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

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

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

Water Wings and Wild Things returns to the Circle B Bar Reserve after being held at the IMC Agrico Park for the past two years. The popular Polk County event was temporarily moved because the Nature Discovery Center was under construction.This free, annual event takes place Saturday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Water Wings and Wild Things features nature-based art vendors, workshops, Florida animals, hands-on activities and guided tours of the reserve. Some of the family… Read more

Families coming out to see the Friday Extra Concert series this week will be treated to some extra entertainment before the main event.Stages Productions will perform “Aesop’s Aqua Adventures,” a live, interactive water resource and conservation theatre presentation, at 6:15 p.m. this Friday, April 29 at Lowry Park band shell. A concert featuring Molten Mike and Freight Train Annie will follow the performance.Updating several classic fables, “Aesop… Read more

h2. District Suggests Six Easy and Fun Resolution Ideas That Help Promote Healthy Water Resources.Are you looking for ideas for a New Year's resolution? The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ has some suggestions for 2012 resolutions that will promote healthy water resources. This year make a resolution to:* Help promote water conservation and "skip at least every other week of watering your lawn in January and… Read more

Summer rains not enough for water resources to fully recoverThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to extend the current Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, through Feb. 27, 2009.The Governing Board chose to extend the term of the water shortage order because the region is still impacted by the two-year drought and portions of the District did not receive enough rain… Read more

Cockroach Bay is located in Tampa Bay, the District’s highest priority SWIM water body, and is one of the largest, most complex ecosystem restoration projects ever developed for the Tampa Bay estuarine ecosystem. The 1980s was a decade of added responsibility for the District. A number of environmental programs were created by the Legislature during these years and, as a result, staff realigned priorities to accomplish multiple significant undertakings.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has reached an agreement with Leigh and Lynn Hampton and LSL Hampton Family Ltd. Partnership, LLP to purchase their property, including settlement costs, for $39,239,000 as part of the Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project.The Hampton�s property, which includes 1,177 acres, is located southwest of the intersection of Thornhill Road and Winter Lake Road and borders the northeastern shore of Lake Hancock. Once this… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board today concurred with the water shortage emergency declaration for the city of Tampa’s main water supply.The District’s Executive Director David L. Moore made the declaration May 18. Drought conditions have caused an acute water shortage within the Hillsborough River Reservoir so emergency actions were necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare.The… Read more

Funding will help restore water quality and natural systems, and create sustainable water supplies in the Southern Water Use Caution AreaGovernor Charlie Crist and Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp released their 2008-09 budget recommendations today, which included $25 million for the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s West-Central Florida Water Resource Action Plan (WRAP.)The WRAP is a long-term water resource protection, restoration and water… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is joining with local governments to “campaign” against the drought.In this grass roots campaign, local governments and utilities are partnering with the District to raise public awareness of the drought and promote water conservation by placing water conservation signs in their communities. The signs are the size and shape of political yard signs.The participating governments and utilities are: Bartow, Bradenton,… Read more

Managing District Lands A war is being fought on District-managed lands and water bodies … a war against invasive species potentially invading more than 300,000 acres of publicly owned land and 25 major water bodies. The invasion of native communities and ecosystems by invasive, non-native species of plant life and wildlife is widely recognized as one of the primary threats to the environmental integrity of Florida’s remaining natural areas. Invasive species… Read more

A Highlands County project expected to reach up to 5,000 people was recently awarded a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/. The overall goal of the Community Education Grant program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues including conservation, protection and preservation. Funded by the "District's Basin Boards(Basin Boards)":/about/basinboards/, the program is intended… Read more

Scientists with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program continue to see an increase in seagrass growth in Tampa Bay, St. Joseph Sound and Clearwater Harbor but caution that the results may be due to the drought.According to the District’s 2008 seagrass mapping study, seagrass acreage in Tampa Bay has increased nearly 1,300 acres since 2006. District studies show that since 2004 Tampa Bay continues… Read more

A project in Sumter County to distribute 200 water conservation kits was recently awarded a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management ":http://www.watermatters.orgDistrict.Twelve grants were awarded Districtwide this year for a total of $50,319. This is the 15th year "Community Education Grants":http://www.WaterMatters.org/CommunityGrants have been available. These grants help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about… Read more

AGMOD is a computer program used in our water use permitting process to calculate supplemental irrigation, crop establishment, cold protection and other irrigation water uses. The program is our main tool for allocating agricultural and recreational irrigation quantities. In addition, AGMOD has been used in the 30-year Needs and Sources Study, Water Resources Assessment Project (WRAP), District Regional Water Supply Plan, and as an alternative method for estimating annual… Read more

Seven Sarasota County teachers 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 program in Sarasota County to… Read more

Two Highlands County projects expected to reach nearly 6,000 residents were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants provide up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 38 grants Districtwide for a total of $136,598. This is the 11th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community… Read more

Five Charlotte 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