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Your Questions Answered
July 2020
Every year, millions of people visit public conservation lands purchased by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and its partners to protect Florida’s water resources. Ellen Morgan Morrison, the District’s Operations and Land Management Assistant Bureau Chief explains more about District owned and managed lands and how the public can enjoy these properties.
Q: Why does…
August 2024Q: What are stormwater ponds and why do we need them?A: A stormwater pond is designed to collect and manage runoff from rainwater. When rainwater lands on rooftops, parking lots, streets, driveways and other hard surfaces, the rainfall that doesn’t soak into the ground (stormwater runoff) flows into your neighborhood stormwater pond through grates, pipes, shallow swales or ditches. Stormwater ponds are required for…
Highlights
- Homosassa Springs is the headwaters of the Homosassa River and is known as the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park
- The park serves as a rehabilitation center and refuge for orphaned or injured manatees.
- Located in Citrus County
- 270-square-mile springshed
Highlights
- Charlotte Harbor is Florida's second largest open water estuary at 270 square miles
- Generally considered one of the most productive estuarine ecosystems in southwest Florida
- Designated an "Estuary of National Significance" in 1995
- Includes Charlotte, Lee, and a portion of Sarasota County
- 4,400-square-mile watershed
- Alteration and…
Highlights
- Lake Tarpon is the largest freshwater lake in the Tampa Bay area
- 2,534 acres of surface area
- Designated an Outstanding Florida Water and a Fish Management Area
- Located in Pinellas County
- 52-square-mile watershed
- Decline in water quality due to highly urbanized watershed inputs
- Imbalanced fish communities
- Increased…
Highlights
- Home to the fourth largest spring in the state of Florida, Rainbow Springs
- Discharges an average of 493 million gallons of water per day into the Withlacoochee River
- Designated an Outstanding Florida Water and an Aquatic Preserve
- Located in Marion and Citrus counties
- 73-square-mile watershed
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board voted today to approve the 2025 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). The District’s RWSP provides a framework for future water management decisions and demonstrates how water demands can be met through 2045 using a combination of alternative water sources, fresh groundwater and water conservation measures. Updated every five years, the RWSP…
Daily Rainfall UpdateThe rainfall data below provide a summary of daily and month-to-date rainfall totals at 125 locations in the District. The Rainfall Data Collection Sites map shows the locations of the measurement stations and the Daily Rainfall Data chart shows rainfall accumulations in inches. (Click any image to view full size.) …
Highlights
- Tidally influenced Kings Bay is the headwater of Crystal River
- Hydrologically unique springs system comprised of more than 30 springs
- Designated an Outstanding Florida Water
- Located in Citrus County
- 364-square-mile watershed
- Kings Bay forms the largest, natural warm-water refuge for the Florida Manatee in the United States.
Rainfall summaries are available as spreadsheets for downloading to your computer. Summaries are tabulated by specific geographic areas, such as county or drainage basin boundaries, for that portion of the geographic area within SWFWMD boundaries. Each page within a spreadsheet shows period-of-record rainfall totals in inches (based on area-weighted average values) for 1915 through the previous calendar year by month, wet season, dry season, calendar year, or water year.…
White PapersWhite papers are authoritative reports or guides that help identify or solve a problem. White papers educate readers and help people make decisions. The District uses white paper research to synthesize research regarding barriers and benefits associated with target behaviors that influence water conservation and water quality. These white papers include programs that have been implemented promoting these behaviors along with strategy suggestions. …
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board declared April Water Conservation Month at its March 25 meeting. April is historically one of the driest months of the year and typically marks the peak demand season for public water suppliers. With these 10 simple tips, you can lower your monthly water bill and do your part to save hundreds of gallons of water: INDOOR
- Only run your washing machine and…
Project OverviewIt removed accumulated sediments from targeted areas of the river to re-establish historic river depths where these sediments had covered natural habitats. Sedimentation alters the river channel structure, reducing passage for manatees and other animals. It can also smother beneficial submerged aquatic vegetation and other important habitats. Accumulated sediments were removed using hand-dredging, which includes divers vacuuming sediments…
AGMOD is a computer program used in our water use permitting process to calculate supplemental irrigation, crop establishment, cold protection and other irrigation water uses.
The program is our main tool for allocating agricultural and recreational irrigation quantities. In addition, AGMOD has been used in the 30-year Needs and Sources Study, Water Resources Assessment Project (WRAP), District Regional Water Supply Plan, and as an alternative method for estimating annual…
July 2025Q: What is a prescribed burn?A: A prescribed burn, also known as a prescribed fire, is a fire intentionally ignited by land managers to meet specific land management goals and objectives. The burns follow a written prescription, which outlines the defined fire treatment area, specific weather parameters that are required to meet the objectives, the tactics staff will use, and the staffing and equipment resources that are required to…
The ROMP Objectives
- Provide information about the groundwater systems within the District.
- Monitor saltwater intrusion along the coast.
- Identify areas of poor groundwater quality.
- Install wells for water level and water quality monitoring.
WUPs require submittal of an application form that is dependent upon the annual average quantities requested and one or more supplemental forms. Choose the appropriate application form and include the appropriate supplemental form(s).Application FormsTo renew or modify or apply for a new water use permit (Form LEG-R.100.00; Rule 40D-2.101(1) – May 19, 2014) (Form LEG-R.035.02; Rule 40D-2.331(2)(b) – May 19, 2014)To transfer a water use permit (Form LEG-R…
April is Water Conservation Month across the state because this month is traditionally one of the driest of the year and typically marks the peak demand season for public water suppliers.
It’s also a good time to remember there are a number of easy ways to save water and money.
Some simple habits can make a big difference by saving thousands of gallons per year. Other changes may save only a few drops at a time, but when multiplied by almost five million residents…
Highlights
- Lake Panasoffkee is the third largest lake (4,820 acres) in west central Florida
- Designated an Outstanding Florida Water
- Located in Sumter County
- Loss of lake area due to sedimentation
- Loss of desirable habitat for fisheries
- Increased shoreline vegetation and…