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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has reopened the Flying Eagle Dead River Flats airboat slide after completing required maintenance. The airboat slide is located on the Flying Eagle berm between the Withlacoochee River and Flying Eagle Marsh in eastern Citrus County.

The watershed includes a rich mosaic of natural habitats: hardwood swamps, pine flatwoods, sandhills, oak hammocks, salt barrens and cypress domes. Saw palmetto thrives in the watershed’s flatwoods and sandhills where the sandy soil is well-drained. It forms dense colonies with ground-hugging, serpentine trunks and clusters of green, fanlike fronds. A variety of trees also make their home here, including sweet gum, water locust, laurel oak, slash pine and the bald… Read more

Following the Governor’s directions to reduce public gatherings and practice social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, in-person attendance will be limited. With the exception of the Governing Board chair, all other Board members will be participating remotely. Only staff that are necessary for the meeting are attending in person at the Brooksville Headquarters, and all cooperators and members of the public will participate remotely. Fiscal… Read more

This property contains relatively unaltered natural land. The dominant natural communities are pine flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, scrub, freshwater marsh and hardwood hammocks. The pine overstory in the flatwoods was logged by prior owners, but a high diversity of natural understory species remain. The northern portion of the tract has a higher elevation and drains into the Manatee River. The southern portion contains the freshwater marsh that gives the tract its name. The… Read more

Why does the District surplus land?The District’s Governing Board policy 610-4 requires an assessment of District lands every two years for potential surplus opportunities. The objective of the assessment is to identify and sell lands that no longer meet the original acquisition purposes of providing substantive water resource benefits. Proceeds from the sale of land may only be used to purchase lands meeting the Districts land acquisition goals or debt service associated… Read more

These plants are all NATIVE to Florida, so if you put them in the right spot, they probably won’t need fertilizers, chemicals or regular watering to grow. Some have become rare so you’ll be helping them out by planting them. As a bonus, these were chosen because they’re especially valuable to Florida's birds, bees, butterflies and other animals. Planting a few in your yard will help with the natural water cycle — and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers next weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time.Sunday, March 9 is when we will turn our clocks ahead 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 year-round water conservation measures.Know and follow your… Read more

 To learn how to better manage the Withlacoochee River watershed, the District studied how a variety of natural environments and man-made alterations have affected the river’s behavior as well as the effects of extreme high and low water levels in the river caused by natural fluctuations in rainfall and groundwater.Years of intense research have helped scientists at the District develop a comprehensive computer model of the entire river. The model has been used to test… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents who irrigate their lawns to “Skip a Week” or more of watering during the cooler months of January and February.According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often during the cooler months. One-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient. In fact, if your lawn has received any significant rainfall, then you can turn off your… Read more

Public water supply facilities, agriculture, wildlife habitat conservation and passive recreation characterize the diversity of the working landscape at the RV Griffin Reserve. The reserve offers vistas of pine flatwoods, freshwater marshes, wet prairies and glimpses of forested wetlands and oak hammocks. Much of the flatwoods have a sparse overstory of pines and resembles Florida dry prairie, one of North America's most imperiled ecosystems. The property is managed by… Read more

Welcome! These resources are provided to help assist users with our online system. Please be patient as we work on updating these resources. Permit Search  Permits Map Gallery find permits via our geographic information system. The ePermitting system is only available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the week and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will temporarily close the Flying Eagle Dead River Flats airboat slide due to required maintenance. The airboat slide is located on the Flying Eagle berm between the Withlacoochee River and Flying Eagle Marsh in eastern Citrus County.Maintenance activities will start April 14 and are scheduled to be completed by April 25. Attempts to use the slide in its current condition could damage airboats.The District operates… Read more

 Purchased to provide flood protection and serve as a public water supply, Cypress Creek's floodplain helps filter nutrients in runoff waters. Cypress Creek Well Field serves as an important source of water for the surrounding region and is managed by Tampa Bay Water (TBW). Cypress Creek is a tributary of the Hillsborough River. Within the property, the creek threads its way through an expanse of cypress and hardwood forests. Slash pine, longleaf pine and palmetto grow… Read more

Jack Bispham of Myakka City is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation.Bispham was appointed to the Governing Board for a term beginning Nov. 5, 2019. He was reappointed in May 2021, and his term ends March 1, 2025.He earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Florida.Bispham has more than 40 years’ experience in various types of agricultural operations, including dairy farming, timber and turf production. He is the owner of Red Bluff Plantation… Read more

Despite reports that the District did not take measures to minimize flood risks for Lake Thonotosassa from Hurricane Milton, District structure operators lowered the lake to the maximum amount possible before the storm.The District also conducted a federally funded debris removal project earlier this year on Flint Creek, which is natural creek where water is released from the lake north to the Hillsborough River. Trees and limbs from a previous storm were removed to help… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, April 22 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the… Read more

It's National Engineers Week, a time when engineers are recognized for their vital work, including at the District where they help minimize flood risks and protect water resources. “Engineers in various District departments take on a different role but collectively work together to achieve the District’s mission” said Marie Rutter, the District’s staffing specialist.  “A variety of technical and managerial paths are offered at the District, depending on each… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers next weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time.Saturday, Nov. 2 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 year-round water conservation measures.All 16 counties throughout the… Read more

This property was acquired to protect and preserve natural water resources and the water quality of the Withlacoochee River, Gum Slough and associated tributaries. The Withlacoochee River, Gum Slough and Gum Springs Run are located adjacent to the property and were designated Outstanding Florida Waters in 1989. Gum Slough is a four-mile-long spring run that flows into the Withlacoochee River. The water in Gum Slough comes from several springs, which makes it… Read more

Dustin Rowland of Dade City is President and Owner of Rowland Truck Lines, Inc., Rowland Cattle Company, LLC, and Dustin Rowland, LLC.Rowland was appointed to the Governing Board in February 2023, and his term expires March 1, 2027.Born in Lakeland, FL, Rowland graduated from Zephyrhills High School in 1994.Rowland represents several business interests in a vast array of industries such as transportation and logistics, commercial real estate, farming, ranching, residential… Read more