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Two Pasco County projects that are expected to reach about 10,000 people 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

Water Wise Winners Two homebuilders each walked away with the equivalent of an “Academy Award” for incorporating water conservation landscaping into their designs. The Gibraltar Homes’ Caterina III model received the Water-Wise Landscaping Award in Manatee County and the Lee Wetherington Homes’ Opal model received the top prize for Sarasota County. The winners were each presented with a plaque at the 2004 Parade of Homes Awards Gala of the Home Builders… Read more

Sometimes someone’s trash can be a treasure. Members of the District’s Springs Team came up winners by finding an orange couch cushion while participating in a cleanup Saturday at the Rainbow River. About 175 volunteers participated in the event. The “cushion catch” earned the Springs Team the award of “Most Colorful Item.” Recognized as the “largest item” was an eight-foot-long wooden plank with large nails sticking out. Some of the other items collected were a cell… Read more

Left to right: A young visitor enjoys his new binoculars. Sally Unser, senior communications coordinator, applies a tattoo at the youth education booth. Inverness Mayor Ron Plaisted, left, presents the “Inverness Get Outside! Day” proclamation to Alan Grubman, Withlacoochee River Basin Board member. A snake fascinates one of the youths who visited Potts Preserve. Nearly 550 people visited Potts Preserve on Oct. 23 for the District’s fourth “Get Outside!” event,… Read more

Second-grade students from Learning Gate Community School collect specimens at a pond on the school property as part of their 2011 Splash! school grant project. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of Environmental Education has recognized three schools in the District with 2011 Florida Green Schools Awards. The Florida Green Schools Awards is a partnership between DEP, the Department of Education, Florida’s Foundation and the… 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

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today agreed to help pay for a $235 million project to produce 25 million gallons of water per day to meet water supply needs in the Tampa Bay area.Known as the System Configuration II project, the Tampa Bay Water project would take additional water from the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bypass Canal during mid- to high-flow periods to be treated and stored in TBW’s C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.The… Read more

Parcels With No Water Resource Benefits May Be Offered for Sale The District is hoping to increase efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars by returning surplus parcels of land to the private sector. The Governing Board asked staff members to assess the District’s land holdings, looking for properties that may not be needed. The District protects more than 436,000 acres of land within its boundaries. District lands include natural floodplains, aquifer recharge areas… Read more

 This Florida scrub-jay was captured on camera at the District’s Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County by Will Van Gelder, senior land management specialist. The Florida scrub-jay and other threatened and endangered species now have an improved habitat thanks to restoration projects at the District’s Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County. “This is a successful habitat enhancement project that has brought the population from about 3 to 100… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has scheduled maintenance work to the Lake Keystone water conservation structure. The District will build a temporary dam around the structure to dewater or “dry out” the work area. The work will take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and is scheduled to begin Feb. 18 and should be completed by March 8. During that time, drivers may experience occasional short-term traffic congestion as equipment is moved in and out… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District approved funding for the fourth phase of the Pinellas County Ultra Low-flow Toilet Rebate Project.The project is a cooperatively funded effort between Pinellas County and the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board. The goal of the fourth phase of the project is to promote water conservation by providing toilet rebates of up to $100 for each high-volume toilet or urinal replaced with a low-flow model. The goal is… Read more

Judy Whitehead, Governing Board member and former chair, presents Patsy Symons, Tom Dabney and Heidi McCree with plaques in honor of their service on the Governing Board. The District’s Governing Board recognized two former Governing Board chairs and a former member for their dedication to public service. During the May meeting, the Governing Board honored Tom Dabney, Heidi McCree and Patsy Symons… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of Jan. 19-21.District workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Tribune to treat small, scattered infestations of water lettuce throughout the river from the Rainbow Springs State Park to the Withlacoochee River.Informational signs will be posted in the treated areas noting treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions.… Read more

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Department staff, volunteers from the Sumter County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission staffWhat:The District’s Land Resources Department is coordinating a volunteer work day at the District’s Panasoffkee Outlet property in Sumter County. Volunteers will hand-remove green wandering jew and tuberous sword fern, which are invasive plants that are… Read more

 Far left: Student “reporters” take part in a skit that shows them what it’s like to work in the District’s Communications Department. Center: Chan Springstead, planner, taught students not to be a water pig. Right: Jason Mickel, senior planner, shows students the role planners play in managing the District’s water resources. With 14 interactive educational displays, students between the ages of 9 and 18 spent the day learning about a variety of careers at… Read more

Florida may soon have a new 5,000-acre state park in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County.On April 24 the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will consider a joint acquisition of the property known as the Overstreet parcel with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Polk County.As the lead agency, District staff negotiated a price of approximately $53,700,000 for the 5,118-acre property. Under the agreement, Polk… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently approved an agreement providing funding assistance for the Pinellas County Ultra Low-Flow Toilet Rebate Project.The project is a cooperatively funded effort between Pinellas County and the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board. The goal of the fifth phase of the project is to promote water conservation by providing toilet rebates of up to $100 for each high-volume toilet replaced with a low-flow model.… Read more

The District has been receiving questions about its ability to move water out of Lake Thonotosassa through the Flint Creek water control structure. The lake was lowered to the maximum amount possible before the storm. However, due to historic rainfall from Hurricane Milton, the Flint Creek water control structure on Lake Thonotosassa is completely under water and the water is flowing over the land around the structure. Under normal circumstances, water naturally… Read more

A Citrus County builder, landscaper and irrigation contractor are being recognized for incorporating water conservation and water-wise landscaping into a model home’s design with the county’s first Water-Wise Landscape Award.Rusaw Homes, The Greenery Landscaping and Coast to Coast Irrigation took first place for the Oakdale Anniversary model in the Citrus County Fall Parade of Homes. The Parade of Homes is being held through Oct. 28, 10 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays and… Read more