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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has activated the Tampa Bypass Canal System due to anticipated heavy rains from Hurricane Milton to help protect the cities of Temple Terrace and Tampa from river flooding.The District is preemptively closing S-155 on the Hillsborough River before Hurricane Milton makes landfall to decrease freshwater discharge from the river into Tampa Bay during the forecasted historic storm surge and to minimize flood risks from…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 365,000 gallons per day (gpd) at two Manatee County farms.The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.The FARMS project, proposed by the owner of 4-Star Tomato Long Creek Farm and Clay Gully Tree Farm, will voluntarily reduce actual…

Construction began this fall on projects at Lake Hancock that will result in improved flows and better water quality in the upper Peace River. Contractors began work Nov. 14 on the Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project, which will replace the P-11 Water Conservation Structure that was built in 1963. The new structure will allow the District to maintain higher lake levels, increasing the elevation from 98.7 feet above sea level to 100 feet. The additional stored…

 The Gilley Creek Tract protects the main branch of Gilley Creek, which is one of the main tributaries of the Manatee River. The creek flows into Lake Manatee, which serves as the primary drinking water source for Manatee County.Formerly a cattle ranch and farm with row crops that had been converted to pasture, hardwood hammocks are still found along the creek channels and wetlands. Undisturbed areas of native habitats thrive in a natural condition, with regular…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping in DeSoto County.Project partner Island Grove Agricultural Products’ Farm #5 is located along S.R. 763 in the Hawthorne Creek watershed. This watershed drains to Joshua Creek and is approximately 14 miles upstream of the Peace River, in the Shell, Prairie, and Joshua Creek Priority Area. This area is also part of the District’s…

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…

District Lands Offer New Features New trail maps and other information have been added to the kiosks on District properties to enrich the experience for guests. The new trail maps were created for 16 of the District’s most popular properties using detailed information including global positioning coordinates. The maps are part of an ongoing effort to update information at District properties. In recent years, land use specialists marked District trails using an…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Winter Haven recently signed an agreement to begin a master plan that will identify ways to use reclaimed water and conserve the groundwater supply.“The master plan will ultimately recommend how the City of Winter Haven should focus its efforts to best accomplish its goals and use its reclaimed water reuse resources from its two wastewater treatment plants,” said Tammy Antoine, District staff water conservation…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a project to reduce groundwater pumping up to 178,000 gallons per day (gpd) at a Hillsborough County nursery. The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality. The FARMS project, proposed by Holmberg Farms, Inc., is located in central Hillsborough County. Fishhawk Creek flows through the…

Brian Armstrong, District Water Supply & Resource Development manager, taught students at Watergrass Elementary School in Pasco County during the Great American Teach-In. More than 1,400 students in 16 schools recently learned about the District and water resources during the annual Teach-In. Members of the District’s Youth Education Team spoke to students about watersheds, the water cycle, plant and animal habitats as well as careers in the water industry.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will treat hydrilla along the western shoreline (Outlet River side) of Lake Panasoffkee.Approximately 200 acres of the 4,000-acre Lake Panasoffkee will be treated May 30 though June 2. Treatment involves the application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol K by helicopter.Maps indicating the treatment…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has deactivated the Tampa Bypass Canal System and the Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (HFDA) as water levels in the Hillsborough River have declined following Hurricane Milton.The District opened Structure S-155 over the weekend and the boat barriers were removed this morning, restoring navigation on the Hillsborough River. The S-155 structure is located north of Morris Bridge Road and east of I-75 and can be…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, Radio Disney and the Pier Aquarium are inviting families to participate in a variety of interactive educational activities on Saturday, October 1.The day begins at 10 a.m. at the Pier. Visitors can take part in the grand opening of the new Water Walk Exhibit. The Pier Aquarium created the colorful outdoor educational display that leads visitors along the walkway to the Pier. The District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board…

At its June 2 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board adopted a tentative fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.240 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The tentative budget for FY2006 is $4,795,390, which is an increase of $233,673 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values. FY2006 will run from Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006.For…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted unanimously today to support a non-adversarial process to resolve a dispute with Tampa Bay Water on how a seawater desalination plant will be operated.Disagreements develop in the best of long-term relationships, said Heidi McCree, Governing Board chair. We want to work with Tampa Bay Water to resolve this issue and continue to strengthen the partnership that has led to so many successes in recent years.…

At its July 25 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.3701 mill, which is .0299 less than the current fiscal year. This reduction is in accordance with the tax reduction mandated by the Florida Legislature.The FY2008 millage rate has been set equal to 97 percent of the rolled-back rate in compliance with House Bill 1B, the tax reform legislation signed into law…

At its June 6 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.375 mill, which is .025 lower than the current fiscal year.In the event that a tax reduction is mandated by the Legislature during its special session later this month, the Basin Board has authorized the Executive Director to recalculate its millage rate to reflect the change in revenue prescribed by the…

Area farmers are seeing big benefits from joining the District’s FARMS program.Farmers recently shared their success stories in a new District video on the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems program. FARMS is a cost-share program offered by the District that promotes water savings and water quality improvements. “As a farmer, you worry,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board Wednesday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 12.7 percent decrease in ad valorem property tax revenue.The…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board Monday adopted a fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2547 mill, which is the same rate as the current fiscal year. The Hillsborough River Basin Board area covers portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 3.8 percent decrease in…