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The District does not control a dam on Lake Jovita in Pasco County and is not releasing water from Lake Jovita. Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Milton has caused extreme flooding in the region, but it is not related to the release of any water from the lake by the District. Please disregard misinformation being circulated on social media and share this post with your community so we can ensure accurate information is being shared. Media reports about the release of water are…

More water is flowing in DeSoto County thanks to the completion of a $3.6 million pipeline. The five-mile pipeline, known as the DeSoto County Regional Transmission System (RTS) Extension, connects the county to the Peace River/ Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority’s water treatment facility. This pipeline is part of a larger alternative water supply project that will allow for growth, while preserving groundwater supplies for existing agricultural users. The…

Five counties within the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/16-county region are now under a Modified "Phase III":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/phase3.php water shortage order due to below normal rainfall this winter.The District's Governing Board voted today to declare the Phase III order for northern counties in the District's region which are: Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, and Sumter as well as the City…

In an effort to conserve water during the ongoing drought, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to “skip a week” 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. In fact, three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient.“The cooler months are a good…

State and local leaders will come together Sept. 7-9 to discuss water issues related to the states plans for growth at the 30th Annual Conference on Water Management in Sanibel.The conference is being held at the Sanibel Harbour Resort during which water management officials will reflect on Florida’s water history, explore how technology is benefiting water management, showcase restoration projects and address water supply issues.The Southwest Florida Water Management…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents to turn off their irrigation systems after this weekend’s rain.Outdoor water use can account for up to fifty percent of residential water use.“Many homeowners have a rain sensor shut-off device, which can be programmed to shut off an irrigation system when half an inch of rain has fallen,” said Sylvia Durell, Florida-friendly landscaping project manager. “Those homeowners who don’t have one should…

The District celebrated successful water conservation education grant projects and recognized the volunteers that make them happen at the spring conference, “Water Conservation: Reflect, Connect, Celebrate.” Approximately 140 people involved with school and community water conservation education grant projects participated in the conference, held at the Pinellas County Extension office in Largo. Besides recognizing successful projects and volunteers, District…

Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and diseaseThe Southwest Florida Water Management District is reminding residents who irrigate their lawns to "Skip a Week" or more of watering during the cooler months of December, 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…

 District staff and Governing and Basin Board members toured The Villages. From left to right: Albert “Bo” Rooks, Withlacoochee River Basin Board member; John Heuer, deputy executive director; Janet Kovach, Governing Board member; Jerry Rice, Governing Board vice chair; Seeth Trimpert, Withlacoochee River Basin Board vice chair; John Arnett, III, water resources engineer for The Villages; Janey Baldwin, Withlacoochee River Basin Board member; Gary Moyer, vice…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a modification of a water use permit that will allow the City of Davenport to construct a third well.The permitted quantity of approximately 1 million gallons of water per day will remain unchanged. Under the modified permit, the third well will be constructed at a new water treatment facility.This permit will supply water primarily for single and multi-family residential, landscape irrigation,…

Some public water suppliers in the northern portion of the Southwest Florida Water Management District will need to increase their conservation efforts to meet new water use efficiency standards approved by the Governing Board last week.The Board voted to require all water utilities in the District to use 150 gallons or less per person per day. Previously, the District had only required water utilities in designated Water Use Caution Areas (WUCAs) to meet or be under the 150…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ will be treating hydrilla and water lettuce on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of Feb. 2-5.District workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K to treat hydrilla on the section of the river downstream of the County Road 484 bridge. The aquatic herbicide Tribune will be applied to scattered infestations of water lettuce throughout the river.Informational signs…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is closing navigation on the Hillsborough River at Structure S-155 to meet Federal safety standards.Due to the high velocity of water from Tropical Storm Debby, boat barriers will be put in place where I-75 crosses the Hillsborough River, restricting navigation in that area. The S-155 structure is part of the Tampa Bypass Canal System and located north of Morris Bridge Road and east of I-75. It can be seen from I-75…

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 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 irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures. All 16…

Overwatering in winter can encourage pests and disease 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,…

The Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) will be holding an interactive webinar about regional water supply planning in central Florida Thursday, Aug. 29 at 1:30 p.m. This District is working collaboratively with the St. Johns River and South Florida water management districts as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and regional utilities to address short- and long-term water supply needs in…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a temporary water use permit that will allow Polk County’s Northeast Regional Utility Service Area (NERUSA) to pump more water.The temporary permit allows the county to increase its permitted Annual Average Daily quantities from 6,054,600 gallons per day (gpd) to 6,304,600 gpd.The county requested a temporary permit while the permit renewal application is being evaluated. The county…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time.Saturday night we will "spring forward," and 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 your system operates consistently with current water restrictions.As a…

Sarasota Bay has about 700 more acres of seagrass beds, according to the 2014 seagrass mapping study by the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program. The District’s study results show Sarasota Bay now supports 13,288 acress of a seagrass beds. That’s the largest amount in the history of the District mapping program.  Seagrasses are an important barometer of a bay’s health because they require relatively clean water to flourish, thus…