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The Three Sisters Springs Wetland Treatment Project is helping improve the quality of stormwater before it enters Kings Bay. Project OverviewThe Southwest Florida Water Management District constructed a wetland area on the Three Sisters Springs property to treat stormwater runoff and improve the quality of stormwater before it enters Kings Bay. The Three Sisters property is co-owned by the District and the City of Crystal River. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host a career and internship fair to share information about the many career fields and employment opportunities at the District.The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at the District’s Sarasota Service Office, located at 78 Sarasota Center Blvd. in Sarasota.The District offers a wide variety of careers and student internships, including administrative, business, accounting, finance, maintenance…

 Deer Prairie Creek Preserve was jointly acquired by the District and Sarasota County and lies between I-75 and US 41. The Schewe Tract, which lies both north and south of I-75, is managed by the District. The property was acquired to protect the floodplain of the river and the water quality of the water sources within the region.The dominant natural communities are pine flatwoods, mixed hardwood and pine, and wetland hardwoods. A portion of the tract was utilized for…

Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and diseaseThe 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…

The cooler months of January and February are the perfect time to train your lawn to need less water. During cooler temperatures, grass does not need as much water. Research has found your lawn only needs approximately ½” to ¾” of water every other week during the winter. Additionally, you should stick to watering your lawn only when it needs it. Some signs that your lawn needs water:

• grass blades are folding in half on 30% of your lawn.
• …

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is extending a water shortage emergency authorization that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Alafia River because Tampa Bay Water cannot use the full storage capacity of the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.The reservoir only has about 6.5 billion gallons in storage to facilitate inspection and investigation of the reservoir’s soil cement layer. When full, the reservoir stores approximately…

Bartow, Fla., July 11, 2017 — Drilling more than half a mile below ground to find new sources of water in the Lower Florida aquifer (LFA). Finding new ways to reuse reclaimed water. Combining stormwater and reclaimed water to build a sustainable supply. These are some of the innovative projects the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) is developing to meet the growing water needs of the five-county Central Florida region while also…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is extending a water shortage emergency authorization that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw additional water from the Alafia River because Tampa Bay Water cannot use the full storage capacity of the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.As of Dec. 15, the reservoir only had about 3 billion gallons in storage. When full, the reservoir stores approximately 15 billion gallons of water. Over the summer rainy months, Tampa Bay…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time.Saturday night 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…

Regionalization and Greater Use of Alternative Water Supplies Will Result Workers install a new two-mile long pipeline in the Citrus Park area. More widespread use of alternative water supplies and a more robust drinking water supply system are in place thanks to a partnership between the District and Tampa Bay Water. The Northwest Hillsborough Pipeline, a two-mile, 36-inch diameter pipeline, now brings up to 15 million gallons per day of water from…

Doug Tharp, Governing Board member, leads his fellow Board members and District staff on a tour of The Villages. During a tour in April, Governing and Basin Board members, as well as members of the Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority, had an opportunity to see firsthand how The Villages is putting water conservation and reuse into practice. The trolley tour was led by Governing Board member Doug Tharp, who resides in The Villages, and Trey Arnett of…

The District is building upon the success of its award-winning Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water CHAMP) by launching a new companion program for restaurants. The Water Program for Restaurant Outreach (Water PRO) was launched in May. Water PRO is a free program that helps restaurants conserve water by educating staff and customers. By implementing Water PRO, restaurant management agrees to only serve water upon request, display water conservation…

 The Weekiwachee Preserve is part of a regional system of conservation lands that extend up to Crystal River Buffer Preserve, preserving the southernmost coastal hardwood hammock in western Florida. The preserve provides a rich mosaic of habitats including several miles of Weeki Wachee River frontage, portions of the Mud River, dense hardwood swamps, freshwater and saltwater marshes, and pine-covered sandhills. The preserve is best known for its Florida black bear…

The management of the Green Swamp involves the coordinated efforts of many different agencies and organizations. The District is the lead agency responsible for regulating, protecting, preserving, restoring and making available for public use the water resources and lands of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve.In many instances, public land in the Green Swamp is managed cooperatively by more than one agency, with assistance from volunteers and the private sector. The Fish…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time.Saturday night 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.The District is currently…

Drilling more than half a mile below ground to find new sources of water in the Lower Florida aquifer (LFA). Finding new ways to reuse reclaimed water. Combining stormwater and reclaimed water to build a sustainable supply. These are some of the innovative projects the Central Florida Water Initiative is developing to meet the growing water needs of the five-county Central…

During the District’s 60-year history, new laws established through the decades have helped the District protect water quality and natural systems. Here’s a look at some of the key legislation and programs established: Save Our Rivers: The program, established in 1981, allowed the District to acquire lands for the purposes of water management, supply and protection. The first major land acquisition using Save Our Rivers funding was the Green Swamp West…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure your irrigation system timer is set correctly to ensure that your system operates consistently with…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2025-2026 term. John Mitten was elected chair of the Governing Board. Mitten represents Hernando and Marion counties and is the franchise owner of Chick-fil-A in Spring Hill. Mitten was appointed to the Governing Board in October 2020 and was reappointed in August 2024.Jack Bispham was elected vice chair of the Governing Board. Bispham represents Manatee County and is…

Area Returns to Phase III Water Restrictions In August the District’s Governing Board voted to reduce the water restrictions in the Tampa Bay Water service area from Modified Phase IV (or Critical) to Modified Phase III (or Extreme) for potable water use. The Board voted to ease the water restrictions because Tampa Bay Water has been able to store 8.3 billion gallons of water in the 15-billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir. However, District staff…