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Left to right, Aaron Carlton, Russ Prophit, Larry Latimer and Larry Geckas of the Raymow Enterprises team were crowned Ruling Water Champions at the 2010 Landscape Challenge competition April 16 at the Pay It Forward Farm in Spring Hill. Seven teams competed against each other by demonstrating landscape management practices that protect water resources. The competition was sponsored in part by the District and the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association.… Read more

The Marion County Extension Service Office will receive a $5,000 grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2006 Community Education Grant Program.The Marion County Extension Service Office was awarded the funds for the Spring Festival 2006. This festival, which is being held March 11-12, is a continuation of the cooperator’s previous efforts. Approximately 16,000 residents will attend this one-day Florida-friendly landscaping festival.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board will hold its December meeting at the Villages.The meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. at the Coconut Cove Recreation Center, 1398 Stillwater Trail.The basin board usually holds its meetings at the District’s Headquarters in Brooksville.“Holding the meeting at a new location within the basin benefits the board members and the community,” said Lou Kavouras,… Read more

Three Marion County projects were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 49 grants Districtwide for a total of $171,444. This is the 10th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to… Read more

About 120 volunteers helped plant 9,000 marsh plugs at Cockroach Bay, provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission About 120 volunteers recently got messy and muddy for a marsh. The volunteers helped plant 9,000 marsh plugs at Cockroach Bay as part of the final phase of restoration of the tidal lagoon borrow pit. The project is part of the Cockroach Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project, one of the most complex coastal ecosystem projects… Read more

District staff, current and former board members, elected officials, friends and family gathered recently to pay tribute to three departing Governing Board members, wishing a fond farewell to Ronnie Duncan, Ron Johnson and Maggie Dominguez during a ceremony honoring them for their service on the Governing Board. “The responsibilities of this District are awesome. Sometimes the demands on staff are overwhelming. But there’s nothing that motivates us more than the… Read more

Left: Randy Freeman, civil engineering technician from the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, works with the District to save farmers money and protect water resources. Above: The pond with the pump house is part of the plan the AGSWM team recommended for a strawberry field in Plant City. Because farmers have a unique set of surface water challenges, the District has developed a regulatory assistance exemption program… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 148,000 gallons per day (gpd) at a DeSoto County citrus grove. 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 Adrian R. Chapman, for 220 acres of the 2,100-acre citrus grove, is located west of Highway 31, on… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 365,000 gallons per day (gpd) at two Manatee County farms.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 the owner of 4-Star Tomato Long Creek Farm and Clay Gully Tree Farm, will voluntarily reduce actual… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,… Read more

A Southwest Florida Water Management District scientist has received a prestigious honor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).Brandt Henningsen, District senior environmental scientist, was presented with the Excellence in Restoration Award by NOAA’s Restoration Center at the Pinellas County Environmental Fund’s (PCEF) conservation partners meeting in May.The award was created by NOAA to publicly recognize it’s partners who have… Read more

Terese Power, a staff engineer with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, uses a watershed model to show Lacy Garman from Brooksville how pollution works its way into rivers and lakes. District employees combined the annual Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day to teach children about conservation, pollution prevention, and environmental stewardship. If you would like a high-resolution photograph for publication, contact… Read more

Members of the Calusa Lakes & Woodland Trail Homeowners Association in Venice are briefed on how to install Florida-friendly landscaping and a micro-irrigation system. Before clearing a pond of unwanted, invasive plants, residents from Pelican Cove in Sarasota learned how fertilizer and pesticide use affects local stormwater ponds. If you are interested in organizing a project that provides your neighborhood, community group or the general public… Read more

This year District volunteers will take part in the 14th Annual National Public Lands Day, a yearly opportunity for Americans to improve and enhance the public lands they enjoy. The event, which is Saturday, Sept. 29, is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort. District staff and volunteers will be conducting a beach cleanup at the District’s Piney Point Tract, which is located in southern Hillsborough County. For more information and to learn how you can… Read more

Join outdoor enthusiasts across the country June 5 as they celebrate the "American Hiking Society's(American Hiking Society)":http://www.americanhiking.org National Trails Day®.The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is celebrating National Trails Day by inviting the public to ""Get Outside!"(Get outside and explore your conservation lands)":/recreation and explore the more than 850 miles… Read more

Taking Top Honors The District received four Crystal Awards at this year’s Florida Government Communicators Association Award Banquet. The FGCA Crystal Awards recognize excellence in government communications. The District won three first-place awards. The awards are for the following categories: • Internet Web Page, “Interactive Green Swamp Web Site” • External Publication, “Sprinkles” • Single Topic Publication, “Florida Waters” The District also… Read more

Learn about watersheds » Learn about our Watershed Management Program » Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinth and water lettuce on portions of Shell and Prairie creeks June 18-21. The sites are located upstream of the Henderson Dam in Charlotte County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs that display treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river water should not be used… Read more

Twelve Pinellas County projects were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 49 grants Districtwide for a total of $171,444. This is the 10th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to… Read more

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled anglers, boy scoutsWhat: The District and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department have partnered with the NWTF/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this fishing derby, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors.When:… Read more