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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…

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…

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to have near- to below-freezing temperatures Saturday morning.The Southwest Florida Water Management District advises residents who live near Plant City and Dover who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps before temperatures dip.During a freeze or near-freezing temperatures, water is pumped to protect crops…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently approved a project that will reduce groundwater pumping in Charlotte County.This project is for Ben Hill Griffin Inc., C & S Grove, a 1,665-acre citrus grove in the Shell Creek watershed. The grove is also located within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA).The primary goal of the project is to reduce groundwater pumping from the Intermediate and Upper Floridan aquifers by irrigating 80 percent of the grove…

Anyone interested in conducting a water resource education grant project is invited to apply online for a grant of up to $5,000 through the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Community Education Grant Program.The goal of the program is to motivate adults to get involved in education projects that promote water resources protection. Grants are awarded to projects that provide adults with an opportunity to learn about water-related issues pertaining to conservation…

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…

Henry Paul Senft took his oath of office Tuesday to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board.Senft was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a newly created seat representing Polk County. The Governing Board was previously made up of 11 seats. Last year the State Legislature added two new seats for a total of 13. Senft’s term ends March 1, 2011.The Haines City resident is the owner of Townsend-Senft Consulting and Insurance Inc.…

West Hernando Middle School students and teachers will get their hands dirty this month when they work side by side with Southwest Florida Water Management District staff restoring the Weekiwachee Preserve.The student workdays are April 13 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.During the workdays students will plant soft-stemmed bulrush along the banks of several water bodies within the preserve and monitor the water quality. The goal of the project is to revegetate and develop the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Venice Golf and Country Club have agreed to jointly fund a project to recycle stormwater for irrigation purposes.The project consists of the design and construction of an alternate stormwater outfall, which will divert stormwater from the club’s property to a pond operated by Sarasota County where it will be stored for irrigation needs.By using the recycled stormwater as an irrigation source, nutrients in the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard will meet two weeks earlier than usual for its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. at the "District's headquarters(Google map)":http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=2379+Broad+Street,+Brooksville,+FL+34604, 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The Governing Board typically meets on the last Tuesday of the month…

A Southwest Florida Water Management District project will help a Manatee County tomato and potato farm reduce groundwater pumping by at least 50 percent.The project is at 4 Star Tomato, Inc.’s Long Creek Farm and is part of the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program, which is a cost-share reimbursement program that conserves water and protects water quality.Long Creek Farm is a 1,240-acre farm located in eastern Manatee…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program with a series of events highlighting restoration and water quality improvement projects throughout the District.To commemorate this anniversary, three events will recognize program supporters, increase overall awareness and showcase the success of the SWIM Program. The events include:Lake Hartridge Nature Park at the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be treating the invasive aquatic plant hydrilla on the Rainbow River in Marion County during the period of May 12-15.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the river from Rainbow River State Park to the County Road 484 bridge.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post informational signs in the treated areas noting treatment dates and…

Tampa Bay has the largest amount of seagrass measured in more than 60 years, an indication the health of one of Tampa’s major water bodies continues to improve. Scientists with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management, or SWIM program, released the results of their 2014 seagrass mapping study showing Tampa Bay now supports 40,295 acres of seagrass beds. Those are levels not seen in Tampa Bay since the 1950s. This increase in seagrass has now…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is celebrating 10 years of Community Education Grants. The program motivates adults to get involved in education projects that promote water resources protection.The District is once again soliciting applications for grants up to $5,000 to 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center located at 98 1st Ave. NW in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Brant Lake in Hillsborough County.   During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Brant Lake. Minimum levels…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved two projects that will reduce groundwater pumping in Hillsborough County.MD Council and Sons, Inc.The first project is at MD Council and Sons, Inc., a 60-acre strawberry and melon farm, located within the Little Manatee River watershed in southern Hillsborough County.This project involves constructing a surface water reservoir, two surface water irrigation pump stations, filtration and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Tuesday, May 8 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 Dosson and Sunshine lakes in Hillsborough County. During the workshop, District staff will present the technical basis for the proposed minimum levels for Dosson and…

What is a feral hog?Feral hogs are wild animals originated from domestic livestock. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) considers feral hogs an invasive exotic species.What kind of damage can a feral hog do?They negatively impact wetlands and other habitats by "rooting" up the soil searching for food. They prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to other wildlife, livestock and humans.How did feral hogs get…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us "Peace River Basin Board(Peace River Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/peace.php has partnered with the "Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District(Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District)":http://www.highlandsswcd.org/ to help homeowners improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems.The pilot project involves bringing a "mobile…