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The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Safety Harbor recently signed an agreement for a project to prevent erosion and improve water quality within the Mullet Creek watershed.The watershed covers approximately one square mile within the city and includes the Lincoln Highlands subdivision and the Harbor Lake industrial park. The work will begin at Harbor Lake and extend downstream to the 9th Avenue North crossing.During the past 50 years, development…

More water will be available to fill up Tampa Bay Water’s C.W. “Bill” Young Reservoir as a result of two executive orders,Order No. SWF 07-042 andOrder No. SWF 07-043, signed today by David L. Moore, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The orders allow wholesale water…

Local elected officials, community leaders, regional water supply authority board members, and other interested people are invited to attend a workshop in Hernando County aimed at explaining minimum flows and levels (MFLs.)The workshop, which is being hosted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Hernando County Utilities Department and the Hernando County Groundwater Guardian Team, will be held Wednesday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Hernando County…

What:“A River Runs Through It” celebration at Hillsborough River State Park. This event wraps up Hillsborough Watershed Awareness Week. The event goal is to teach the public about the watershed through a variety of activities, including a canoe race on the river, hiking and other environmental educational activities focusing on the Hillsborough River. During the event, participants will have the opportunity to sign a watershed pledge and commit to behaviors…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold two virtual public workshops seeking feedback on the draft 2025 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). The virtual workshops will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 25 and at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 26.A new plan is developed every five years and presents the projected water demands across the District and all water use sectors for a 20-year planning period. The plan also identifies water supply sources and…

The District encourages residents who irrigate their lawns to take advantage of the summer rains and “watch the weather, wait to water.”  During the summer months of June, July, August and September, yards need no more than 3/4 inch of water every two to three days. If your lawn has received enough water from rainfall, then you can turn off your irrigation system and turn it back on when needed. The simplest way to determine if your yard needs water is to look for…

Volunteers are needed to help install trail signs at the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The District is organizing a volunteer work day on Feb. 21 at its Jack Creek property, located south of Sebring near Josephine Creek.Approximately five volunteers are needed to help install trail signs and pick up trash. Volunteers will meet at 11 a.m. at the property gate at Grand Concourse Road and Hines Way.Volunteers should…

For the second year in a row, Lee Wetherington Homes took home the Water-Wise Landscape Recognition Awards for Sarasota County at the annual Home Builders Association Parade of Homes banquet. This year Lee Wetherington Homes also took home the award for Manatee County.The winning designs were the Addison model in Manatee County and the Casablanca in Sarasota County. Sun State Landscaping designed the landscaping and irrigation at each location.The Water-Wise Landscape…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will treat hydrilla on selected areas of Lake Panasoffkee.Approximately 200 acres of the 4,000-acre Lake Panasoffkee will be treated May 9-11. Treatment involves applying the aquatic herbicide Aquathol K from the air.Maps of the treatment areas will be posted at local fish camps as well as on floating buoys…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has released as much water out of Lake Tarpon as possible, however storm surge from Hurricane Debby is overtopping the structure and water cannot be released until the storm surge recedes.The Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal is one of 84 water-control structures throughout the District’s 16-county area. The three-mile canal extends from the south end of Lake Tarpon and empties into Old Tampa Bay. The structure is designed…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is bringing one of its Watershed Wonders Week activities to the Willow Art Gallery’s Front Porch Florida Event, Saturday, Oct. 16. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.World Water Monitoring Day is a part of the Watershed Wonders Week campaign, which is aimed at making the residents of the Brooker Creek watershed aware of the importance of protecting their watershed. Watershed Wonders Week is Oct. 1623.One of the…

A project in Charlotte County to educate residents about water quality issues and water resources was recently awarded a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org.Twelve grants were awarded Districtwide this year for a total of $50,319. This is the 15th year Community Education Grants have been available. These grants currently help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water…

The Southwest Florida Management District and Hillsborough County are working together on a project that will improve water quality in the Tampa Bay watershed.The goal of this project is to reduce the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants in Cedar Lake East by building stormwater treatment systems within three interconnected ponds at Jean Park that drain directly into Cedar Lake East, and ultimately to Tampa Bay. Jean Park is located in the Forest Hills…

The Southwest Florida Management District, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Town of Dundee are moving forward on a project that will improve water quality by treating stormwater runoff within the Ridge Lakes watershed.The goal of this multi-year project is to design, permit and construct stormwater treatment systems for 10 lakes located within the Lake Wales Ridge, Polk and Highlands counties.This phase of the project is based on the results of a study…

 Photo left: Kim DeVary (front, right), District land use specialist, took volunteers and their children on a hayride. Photo center: David Moore, District executive director; Ronald Oakley, Governing Board vice chair; Todd Pressman, Governing Board chair; Sallie Parks, Governing Board treasurer; and Eric Sutton, District land resources director, display signs that will be posted at two areas that are maintained by volunteer groups. Photo right: Volunteers enjoyed a…

The resources available through this page will assist you in the estimation of service area population for the Public Supply Annual Report.InstructionsThe data for the estimation of service area populations are developed in accordance with the requirements of Part D of the Water Use Permit Information Manual and are based on your public supply service area…

Community leaders recently gathered with water experts to discuss the needs to protect and restore springs. It was part of Hernando County’s “Water You Doing?” workshop educating the public about watersheds, springs and groundwater. Several District staff participated in the event. Dr. Chris Anastasiou, a chief environmental scientist at the District, opened the day-long event with an overview of the water challenges the community faces. Sky Notestein, a senior…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of Daylight Saving Time.Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with current water restrictions.Under the…

Starkey Trail Extension  Left: Bike riders eagerly await the opening of the Starkey Trail extension. Right: Taking part in the trail’s ribbon-cutting ceremony are: Jon Kennedy, Tampa Bay Water; Judy Whitehead, Governing Board Secretary and Coastal Rivers Basin Board Chair; Joanne Hurley, PBS&J; Kathryn Starkey, Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board; and Peter Altman, former Pasco County Commissioner. Representatives from Pasco County and the District…

Two District communication projects have taken top honors at this year’s Florida Government Communicators Association (FGCA) Awards Banquet. The FGCA Crystal Awards recognize excellence in government communications. The District received first-place Crystal Awards for the Who We Are & What We Do brochure and the District’s web site, WaterMatters.org. Who We Are & What We Do Brochure This single-topic publication provides overviews on…