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The Southwest Florida Water Management District is teaming up with the United States Geological Survey and the American Ground Water Trust to offer a free, two-day Ground Water Institute for teachers in the Peace River watershed.The Ground Water Institute is June 5 and 6 at the Turner Agric-Civic Center in Arcadia and is open to educators from schools and organizations in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties, specifically middle and high school teachers.The… Read more

*District to begin habitat improvement activities*The Morris Bridge Bicycle Area's off-road trails and parking lot will be closed intermittently from mid-December through mid-January, except for weekends and holidays. The Morris Bridge Bicycle Area is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, located just south of Morris Bridge Road and just east of I-75 near Temple Terrace. The property is managed by the District in… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFL) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving the delicate balance between meeting human water needs and those… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFL) for lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving the delicate balance between meeting human water needs and those… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input as it updates its long-range Water Management Plan.The District’s Water Management Plan addresses the District’s water supply, flood protection, water quality and natural systems goals and responsibilities. The current plan, developed in 2000, is being updated and will be provided to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by May. The update will focus on key resource management… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise the schedule each year.A public workshop will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Aug. 30 at the District's Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301.The workshop will provide… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year.The District will hold a virtual public meeting Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public can join the… Read more

To help lower lake levels and prevent flooding, the District recently partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants and the Panavista Fish Camp to treat and remove hydrilla from the Lake Panasoffkee Outlet River in Sumter County. Water naturally flows out of Lake Panasoffkee to the Withlacoochee River through the Outlet River. Hydrilla, an invasive species, recently grew so dense… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's ":http://www.WaterMatters.org Governing Board yesterday approved funding for a project that will reduce groundwater withdrawals in DeSoto County by an estimated annual average savings of 160,000 gallons per day.J.R. Paul Properties, Inc. will be reimbursed up to $128,000 for a surface water irrigation reservoir and tailwater recovery system at its 1,833-acre citrus grove and 17-acre field nursery. The property is located… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input as it updates its long-range Water Management Plan.The District’s Water Management Plan addresses the District’s water supply, flood protection, water quality and natural systems goals and responsibilities. The current plan, developed in 2000, is being updated and will be provided to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by May. The update will focus on key resource management… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input as it updates its long-range Water Management Plan.The District’s Water Management Plan addresses the District’s water supply, flood protection, water quality and natural systems goals and responsibilities. The current plan, developed in 2000, is being updated and will be provided to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by May. The update will focus on key resource management… Read more

For decades, the District’s five advisory committees have played an important role in providing input on water management programs, projects and related issues. The diverse committees are made up of volunteers from different industries who serve as liaisons between the District and their organizations. At quarterly meetings, committee members are presented with items of interest from District staff, and other subject matter experts, that relate to their industries. They… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ voted on Tuesday to expand hunting opportunities at two District-managed lands. Hunting opportunities will be expanded on these District properties: • The Lake Panasoffkee property will offer 21 days of small game hunting.• The Weekiwachee Preserve will offer 30 days of archery in its southern portion. In addition, the northern portion of the property will be included in the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public meeting Tuesday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m., to share information about the Weeki Wachee Channel Restoration Project. The meeting will take place at the Coast Guard Auxiliary Meeting Hall, located at 4340 Calienta St. in Hernando Beach. This multiyear project evaluated accumulated sediments in the river and identified where removal of sediments will benefit the river’s ecosystem. The contractor… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a water use permit that will authorize the City of Lakeland to withdraw up to 30.2 million gallons of ground water per day (mgd) based on an administrative law judge’s recommended order.The city requested an administrative hearing after its application for a 10-year water use permit with total withdrawals of 36.8 mgd, with 8.77 from its Northeast well field, was modified by the District. The… Read more

Blog note: Projects and Partners is a WaterMatters Blog series that highlights various innovative projects of the District and its partners to benefit the community. District leaders recently helped celebrate the groundbreaking of the Crystal River to Duke Energy Reclaimed Water Project. It will provide highly treated wastewater, known as reclaimed water, from the City of Crystal River to the Duke Energy power plant facility in Citrus County.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input as it updates its long-range Water Management Plan.The District’s Water Management Plan addresses the District’s water supply, flood protection, water quality and natural systems goals and responsibilities. The current plan, developed in 2000, is being updated and will be provided to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by May. The update will focus on key resource management… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping in Charlotte County.This project is for Ben Hill Griffin Inc., C & S Grove, a 1,665-acre citrus grove in the Shell Creek watershed. The grove is also located within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA).The primary goal of the project is to reduce groundwater pumping from the Intermediate and Upper Floridan aquifers by irrigating 80 percent of the grove… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will temporarily close trails during November and December in the Flatwoods Park and Wilderness Park areas of the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County.The "Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve(Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve)":/recreation/areas/lowerhillsborough.html is located east of I-75 and north of US 301, approximately three miles northeast… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public workshop Thursday, Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss updates to the Lake Tarpon Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. The workshop will take place at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center Auditorium, located at 3940 Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs.In 1987 the Florida Legislature created the SWIM Act to protect, restore and maintain Florida's highly threatened… Read more