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One of the founding leaders that helped shape the District passed away this week. Dale Twachtmann, the District’s first executive director, died May 17 following a battle with Leukemia.  Twachtmann spent most of his career championing water issues and programs that remain key components to protecting the state’s water resources. So passionate about new water technologies, he once famously drank a glass of treated wastewater to prove its safety to the public.… Read more

At its June 11 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.2308 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Withlacoochee River Basin Board area covers portions of Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion, Pasco and Sumter counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraisers, will… Read more

 Dave Eggers, Dunedin mayor-elect; Lou Kavouras, District deputy executive director; Maritza Rovira-Forino, Governing Board member; Carl Krave, Pocket Neighborhoods, Inc. president; and Sallie Parks, Governing Board treasurer, celebrate the first property to receive the Florida Water Star℠ Gold certification. Right: High-efficiency fixtures and a tankless water heater are featured in the home. District Governing Board members and staff recently launched the… Read more

Festival coincides with first Springs Awareness WeekThis year’s Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival, which is being held March 14 – 15 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala, coincides with the first Springs Awareness Week.The Southwest Florida Water Management District has partnered with Citrus and Marion counties and the cities of Crystal River and Dunnellon to proclaim March 14-21 as Springs Awareness Week. The goal is to… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard will hold its monthly meeting 9 a.m. Oct. 26 at the "Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Office(Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council)":http://www.tbrpc.org/, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd, Suite 100, Pinellas Park.The Governing Board holds some of its regular monthly meetings away from the Brooksville headquarters to encourage… Read more

At its August 19 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2006 (FY2006) millage rate of 0.195 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.The budget for FY2006 is $13,321,519, which is an increase of $3,126,709 from the approved FY2005 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to an increase in property values, increases in funding from local governments for Cooperative Funding projects, and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, located at 2902 W. Bearss Ave. in Tampa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Charles in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lake Charles.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Monday, Aug. 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library, located at 11211 Countryway Blvd. in Tampa. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lakes Church and Echo in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Lakes… Read more

At its June 4 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s newly merged Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.2421 mill. The Hillsborough River Basin Board area covers Hillsborough County and portions of Pasco and Polk counties.The Hillsborough River and the Northwest Hillsborough Basin Boards were merged effective Jan. 1, 2009. For FY2009, the Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a millage rate… Read more

Scientists with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program continue to see an increase in seagrass growth in Tampa Bay, St. Joseph Sound and Clearwater Harbor but caution that the results may be due to the drought.According to the District’s 2008 seagrass mapping study, seagrass acreage in Tampa Bay has increased nearly 1,300 acres since 2006. District studies show that since 2004 Tampa Bay continues… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to comment on proposed minimum levels for Lake Carroll in northwest Hillsborough County at a public workshop on *Wednesday, Nov. 16*. The workshop will be held from *6:30 to 8 p.m.* at the *Carrollwood Recreation Center*, 3515 McFarland Road, Tampa.The state Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted proposed Fiscal Year 2007 (FY2007) millage rates. The District’s proposed millage rate remains the same as last year for the District’s General Fund. The proposed millage rates for seven District Basin Boards also remain the same. The Coastal Rivers Basin Board lowered its millage rate.The eight Basin Boards will meet in August to adopt their final FY2007 millage rates. The final millage rates… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 millage rates. The District’s proposed millage rate remains the same as last year for the District’s General Fund. The proposed millage rates for eight District Basin Boards also remain the same.The eight Basin Boards will meet in August to adopt their final FY2006 millage rates. The final millage rates may decrease from the proposed amounts adopted, but by law… Read more

At its June 5 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) millage rate of 0.2421 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board area includes the northwest portion of Hillsborough County.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property appraiser, will result in an estimated… Read more

h2. Winner Will Earn "Ruling Water Champion" CrownThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting area landscaping professionals to compete for the title of "Ruling Water Champion" at the District's third Landscape Challenge competition, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at "Armstrong Homes":http://www.armstronghomes.net/, 7821 N. Florida Avenue in Citrus Springs.The Springs Awareness Week Landscape… Read more

Left: Will VanGelder, District senior land management specialist, speaks to students at Brooker Elementary School. Right: Lizanne Garcia, Surface Water Improvement and Management senior environmental scientist, teaches students how water moves through a watershed. More than 1,700 students recently learned about water resources, conservation and water management careers during the Great American Teach-In. District staff visited 21 schools in six counties… Read more

Two Charlotte County projects expected to reach up to 23,000 people were recently awarded Community Education Grants from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues including conservation, protection and preservation. Funded by the "District's Basin Boards(Basin Boards)":/about/basinboards/, the program is… Read more

The deadline to apply for the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Community Education Grant program is near. The grants, which offer funding up to $5,000 each, will be used for projects that provide adults with an opportunity to learn about water-related issues pertaining to conservation, protection and preservation.Government agencies, private individuals, educational facilities, business and industry, neighborhoods, homeowner and service organizations,… Read more

Applications for the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Community Education Grant program are now available. The grants, which offer funding up to $5,000 each, will be used for projects that provide adults with an opportunity to learn about water-related issues pertaining to conservation, protection and preservation.Government agencies, private individuals, educational facilities, business and industry, neighborhoods, homeowner and service organizations, research… Read more

The skies opened up and heavy rains came down when water managers gathered in Tarpon Springs this September for the Annual Conference on Water Management. Coincidentally, impacts from the recent serious hurricane seasons and the “new reality” of water management in Florida were the focus at this year’s conference. The conference, which is co-sponsored by the state’s five water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), had a… Read more