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The Florida Greenways and Trails Council has agreed to include three Southwest Florida Water Management District properties in the state’s designated system of greenways and trails.The properties include the 18,000-acre Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County, the 16,000-acre Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area in Hillsborough County and the 31-mile segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail that goes through the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve.The goal of…

Residents have a new resource for water conservation.The District has launched the new Water 101 website where residents can get water conservation tips for both inside and outside their home.  Whether someone is new to the area or lived in Florida for decades, the site offers a variety of ways residents can save both water and money. The site is divided into easy…

  The District and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)/Wheelin’ Sportsmen have agreed to continue a successful partnership that allows disabled outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to participate in planned events throughout the year. As part of a pilot program, three events were jointly organized by the District and the NWTF/Wheelin’ Sportsmen last year, including a deer/hog hunt, a turkey hunt and a fishing derby. The success of these events led to the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) announced changes for public access at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County, which adjoins the Weeki Wachee River. The Governing Board recently approved updates to Rule 40D-9.111, Florida Administrative Code, Access to and Closure of District Lands, which outlines public access to District lands. According to the updated rule, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and Weekiwachee…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is planning to perform maintenance on the S-353 water control structure located in northern Citrus County on the Tsala Apopka outfall canal, between the northern extent of the Hernando pool of the Tsala Apopka Chain-of-Lakes and the Withlacoochee River. The work will begin December 21 and will continue through June 1, 2017. During that time, public access to the structure will be limited for safety reasons. As part…

Top: Hange, his coworkers and family pose for a picture after participating in a volunteer planting at Newman Branch Creek. Hange is on the left. Others pictured include Brian Townsend, equipment operator; Randy Hinkle, field operations coordinator; Danielle Hange, Adam’s daughter; and Karen Hange, Adam’s wife. Bottom: Hange and his daughter working together to plant marsh grass. Adam Hange, a District senior heavy equipment operator, may work with machines that…

The District is taking the state’s annual water conservation efforts in April to another level as the need to conserve is more important than ever. “April is part of Florida’s dry season and the time when the District makes an extra effort to remind residents about the need to conserve,” said Michael Molligan, communications director. “However, this year our water supplies are extremely low, so we have been stepping up our public awareness campaign because we need…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hampton Tract, which is part of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, will be reserved Nov. 17-19 to allow disabled hunters the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The property will be closed to the public during this time.The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract’s Polk County entrance is at the intersection of Rockridge Road and Deen Still Road.The hunt is a joint effort between the District and the…

With the rainy season still a few weeks away, the Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind residents that conservation is the key to maximizing our water supply. Approximately 60 percent of our annual 52 inches of rain falls from June through September.“We’re at the height of our dry season when our water levels are at their lowest, so it’s important that we make an extra effort to conserve,” said Lou Kavouras, District deputy…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during November and December on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County.The site is east of Kings Highway, west of the Peace River and north of Deep Creek Estates. Approximately 350 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, controlled burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. According to District Land Manager…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Deep Creek Preserve will be the site of a hog hunt Jan. 9-11. The tract will be temporarily closed to the public and only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these days.The property is located south of Peace River Street and east of Kings Highway in DeSoto County.The hunt is one of a series of hog hunts being held on District lands in an effort to control the damage being caused to the natural…

The Florida Legislature included $15 million in its 2008–09 state budget for the District’s West-Central Florida Water Restoration Action Plan (WRAP), which will help restore water quality and natural systems and create sustainable water supplies in the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA). “In this incredibly tight budget year, we are extremely grateful that the WRAP was funded, which will aid in the District’s efforts to recover the Southern Water Use Caution…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will open Phase 2 hog hunt registration Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 9 a.m. The District holds a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.What you need to know about Phase 2 hunts:

• Phase 2 will include six hunts that occur in January 2025.
• Permits are transferable.
• The single top producer on each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on the District…

The Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program at the District turned 20 this year. The SWIM Program currently manages more than 100 projects throughout the District’s 16-county region. These projects focus on restoring degraded habitats and reducing pollution entering the SWIM priority water bodies. “The District’s SWIM Program, with the help of local, state and federal partners, has been successful in helping water bodies recover from years of pollution…

The Wheelin’ Sportsmen, which is part of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), recently honored the District during the NWTF’s 30th Annual Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee. The District received the 2005 Agency Achievement Award and the Patron Life Sponsor Award for its partnership with the organization. The partnership allows disabled outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the wilderness by taking part in planned events throughout the…

April… a month known for April Fool’s Day, tax day, Earth Day and, in Florida, water conservation. The state Legislature designated April as water conservation month. This year the District will celebrate water conservation month by participating in a variety of festivals and educational events. District staff will speak at two series of educational workshops aimed at helping elected community, county and municipal officials and decision-makers learn more about the…

table(webalert). |Who:|"Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org staff and approximately 100 children.||*What:*|The District's 14th Annual "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day." Students between the ages of nine and 18 will spend the day at the "District headquarters(Google map)":http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=2379+Broad+Street,+Brooksville,+FL+34604 and service offices learning about…

Left: Chris Busser, left, and Corbin Bassingwaite plant marsh grass at Clam Bayou. Right: Kyle Carey helped organize the planting of 3,500 units of marsh grasses. Eagle Scout candidate Kyle Carey of Boy Scout Troop 45 and 30 volunteers spent about 5½ hours planting 3,500 units of marsh grasses at the District’s Clam Bayou Ecosystem Restoration and Stormwater Treatment Project in St. Petersburg. Carey spearheaded the volunteer project as part of his efforts to…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the wild hog population. Wild hogs, which are not native to Florida, feed on roots, tubors and grubs by rooting with their broad snouts and can leave an area looking like a plowed field. They also prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to…