Search Content

Your Questions Answered March 2021During the past year, we’ve come to appreciate the recreational opportunities of natural Florida like never before. The Weeki Wachee River is one of those breath-taking jewels people love to visit. This river flows about 7 miles from the headspring to where it meets the Gulf of America at Bayport in Hernando County. It’s a popular spot for kayaking and boating, but a recent study found certain recreational activities…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 178,000 gallons per day (gpd) at a Hillsborough County nursery. The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality. The FARMS project, proposed by Holmberg Farms, Inc., is located in central Hillsborough County. Fishhawk Creek flows through the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to an open house about Lake Panasoffkee on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The workshop will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at "Lake Panasoffkee Recreation Park(Lake Panasoffkee Recreation Park)":http://sumtercountyfl.gov/index.aspx?NID=207, 1582 CR 459, Lake Panasoffkee.The District is holding the open house to discuss the success of the restoration project as well as current…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 20, to discuss updates to several of the District’s land management plans. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public about updates to these plans, to solicit input from stakeholders, and to incorporate feedback from the public and stakeholders into the development of the new 10-year plans. The land management plans to be updated include…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 94,900 gallons per day (gpd) at a Manatee County farm.The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The FARMS project, proposed by FFD Land Company, Inc., is located upstream from Lake Manatee, which is a major source of drinking water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to take advantage of the upcoming summer rainy season and “watch the weather, wait to water.” During the summer months of June, July, August and September, yards need no more than ½ to ¾ inch of water every two to three days. If your lawn has received enough water from rainfall, turn off the irrigation system and turn it back on when needed. The simplest…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on portions of Lake Tarpon Jan. 811.Scattered infestations of these plants will be treated along shoreline areas of Lake Tarpon.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Restrictions on treated waters include no livestock watering…

The new year kicks off with a new District program aimed at recognizing outstanding stewards of Florida’s water resources. This new program is known as the Water Stewardship Awards. “Florida’s watersheds are being protected by people and entities that care about what happens to our freshwater supplies,” said Communications Director Linda McBride. “That’s why the Governing Board initiated this program, to recognize and award those who are impacting our water resources…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) has approved a contract for the purchase of 410.74 acres that is a connector between the Tsala Apopka/Two-Mile Prairie projects situated at the northern end of the Lake Tsala Apopka system in Citrus County. The property is generally situated between State Road 200 and the Tsala Apopka Outfall Canal. The Tsala Apopka/Two-Mile Prairie project is an environmentally sensitive piece of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on portions of Lake Tarpon July 31 through Aug. 3.Scattered infestations of these plants will be treated within shoreline areas and canals on Lake Tarpon.Treatment in the canals involves spot application of the aquatic herbicide Rodeo, which requires no water use restrictions. Treatment along the shoreline involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment…

Sebring Homeowners Get Irrigation Recommendations The District’s Peace River Basin Board partnered with the Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District to help homeowners improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems. The pilot project brought a mobile irrigation lab to homeowners residing in the city of Sebring. The lab is evaluating residential irrigation systems and developing customized recommendations on irrigation equipment, management…

Several area projects will benefit from $112 million in grants recently awarded by the state. Gov. Ron Desantis announced that these grants will help improve water quality and quantity through supporting alternative water supply projects, innovative technology and restoration projects at area springs.  The Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC) is one of the local organizations to benefit from the grant money. This regional water supply authority was…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board declared April Springs Protection Awareness Month during its March meeting. The Governing Board also emphasized that springs are vital to the environment, economy, citizens and visitors of the state. Earlier this month, the District launched an education campaign to help protect the Weeki Wachee River in Hernando County, which begins at the world-famous springs. The Weeki Wachee River education…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on a portion of the Peace River Jan. 17-19. The treatment area is located between Bartow and Wachula in Polk and Hardee counties.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treated areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Restrictions on Reward include no livestock…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinths and water lettuce on portions of Lake Tarpon May 16-19.Scattered infestations of these plants will be treated within shoreline areas and canals on Lake Tarpon.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Restrictions on Reward include no livestock watering for…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinths and water lettuce on portions of the Peace River August 29-Sept. 1. The treatment area is located between State Road 17 and County Road 640 in Polk County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treated areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Restrictions on Reward include no…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure your irrigation system timer is set correctly to ensure that your system operates consistently with…

Two Southwest Florida Water Management District projects will help two Hardee County citrus groves reduce groundwater pumping.The first project involves installing two soil moisture sensors and a weather station at the Groves of Peace River, Inc. and the second project involves installing four soil moisture sensors and two weather stations at Las Lomas Holdings, Inc.Soil moisture sensors increase irrigation efficiency by only irrigating when water is needed. Weather…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to take advantage of the summer rainy season and “watch the weather, wait to water.” During the summer months of June, July, August and September, yards need no more than ½ to ¾ inch of water every two to three days. If your lawn has received enough water from rainfall, turn off the irrigation system and turn it back on when needed. The simplest way to…

*Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and disease*The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently launched a new campaign to encourage residents who irrigate their lawns to "Skip a Week" of watering during the cooler months of December, January and February.According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn't need to be watered as often during the cooler months. In fact, one-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient…