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Michael Sole, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, applauds Dr. David York as he receives a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from David Moore, District executive director. This spring the District proudly presented its first-ever “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Dr. David York for his leadership, vision and contributions to reclaimed water and sustainable water resources in Florida. York has been the state’s only Florida Department of…

ORLANDO, Fla., May 26, 2015 – Two public meetings are scheduled for next week to provide an opportunity for the public to learn about and comment on the "Central Florida Water Initiative ":http://cfwiwater.com/ (CFWI) draft 2035 Water Resources Protection and Water Supply Strategies Plan (Solutions Plan) and minor changes to the draft 2015 Regional Water Supply Plan. The two draft documents will set a path forward for meeting water supply needs in central Florida for the…

Just two days into their weeklong summer camp and the students of Camp Citrus were looking at water in a whole new way. Their snorkel at Three Sisters Springs wasn’t just a leisurely swim in the pristine waterway. The middle school students examined vegetation, discussed flows and looked for habitats. And that’s the point of Camp Citrus, according to Earnie Olsen lead teacher at the summer camp hosted by the Marine Science Station in Citrus County.  “We not…

Canal Prevents Flooding  The gates are partially closed at Structure 155, allowing only minimal flow downstream. Behind the structure, the river is going over a spillway into the Tampa Bypass Canal. "Bad things happen in threes.” Not many people in west-central Florida would argue with that old saying. After suffering through Hurricanes Charley and Frances, the region bore the fury of Hurricane Jeanne, the storm ripping across the central peninsula…

Above: “Before” and “after” photos show Florida-friendly landscaping installed. Right: Angela Maraj, District regional builder/developer landscape education specialist, met with Stephen Bissonnette (left), Alafia River Basin Board secretary, and Scott Coulombe (right), Polk County Builders Association executive director, at a recent builder/developer workshop in Polk County. A change is taking place in the Florida homebuilding industry. As public and industry…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will hold three public workshops about the draft 2015 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP) and one public workshop for agricultural stakeholders. The plan presents the projected water demands across the District and all water use sectors for a 20-year planning period as well as identifies water supply sources and potential water supply project options. Most workshops will be accessible…

table(webalert). |Who:|Students and staff from Wildwood Middle High School and field experts from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ .||*What:*|Sumter County School District personnel and District field experts will engage 85 seventh-grade students in activities that integrate the use of technology tools with the collection and recording of data about the site. The highlights include conducting water quality…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping at a caladium farm in southwestern Hardee County.The project involves installing an integrated irrigation system at Classic Caladiums, L.L.C. The system includes soil moisture sensors and the equipment needed to transmit the data to the grower’s computer system, which will help the grower make decisions on how to improve irrigation efficiency…

Education in Action Mother Earth didn’t change the way she moves water through the cycle, District staff just thought of a better way to teach it. That’s the story behind the new and improved hydrologic cycle poster that’s hitting elementary school classrooms across the District. The new poster was developed because Youth Education staff felt the circular model was teaching a…

h2. District Seeking Public Input on Evaluation of Properties for HuntingThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering information to determine if there are additional hunting opportunities available on public lands that are managed by the District.As part of that information-gathering effort, the District is holding a public workshop on *Friday, July 29*, beginning at *3:30 p.m.* at the Hillsborough Community…

Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County embarked on a field trip to the District’s Serenova Tract in Pasco County in August. This was the fourth annual District-sponsored field trip for the club, but their first visit to the Serenova property. Approximately 100 children and counselors made the trip this year to learn about water…

A sold-out crowd at the Tampa Theatre erupted in thunderous applause after an hour of stunning scenery, funny moments in nature and important messages about conservation. It was the premiere of “The Forgotten Coast: Return to Wild Florida,” a documentary of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition that took a team of explorers across 1,000 miles of natural lands…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) 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…

Residents encouraged to make a commitment to themselves to “Get Outside!” more oftenThis September the Southwest Florida Water Management District is launching its new “Get Outside!” campaign and revised Recreation Guide to promote the recreational opportunities available to the public on District-owned lands.The District and its partners have acquired more than 436,000 acres of conservation lands primarily through the state’s land acquisition…

Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board members this week will begin evaluating proposed projects for the FY2013 Cooperative Funding Initiative.Governing Board members will meet as regional subcommittees to review proposals and make recommendations to the full board. The meetings at District service offices provide an opportunity for subcommittee members to ask questions of staff and the applicants, and to hear public and stakeholder input. The…

The “water wars” in the Tampa Bay region spanned three decades, cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, and taught us valuable lessons about how to address regional water supply issues. Now the Tampa Bay region has one of the most diverse, drought-resistant water supplies in the country. The war was not won in the courtroom, despite all the money spent on attorneys. The issues were resolved by cooperating on our shared interests, fairly distributing costs of new water…

Surrounding the crystal waters of Three Sisters Springs, visitors could easily spot exposed tree roots and an eroded shoreline. The erosion has caused sediments to enter spring vents and trees to collapse. It has meant a loss of habitat and dangerous conditions for visitors. That’s why the District is restoring the shoreline around Three Sisters Springs. A floating platform was placed inside the spring to allow access to the shoreline, which is surrounded by trees…

District staff helped community leaders celebrate the completion of the Lutz Lake Fern Road Trailhead and new section of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, which now connects to the Suncoast Trail. Hillsborough County recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new segment. The 4.35-mile section marks the completion of the northernmost segment of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail.  Colleen Kruk, the District’s lead land use specialist, spoke at the event, noting this…

On Tuesday, the Southewest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board adopted a $202.7 million budget for FY2020, including more than $81 million for the Cooperative Funding Initiative and District grants for water resources projects. The budget reflects the District’s commitment to protect Florida’s water resources and to improve Florida’s economic vitality. Some of the key initiatives in the District’s FY2020 budget include:

• $25.7 million for…