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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. at Frostproof City Hall, located at 111 West First Street in Frostproof. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Lake Clinch. The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the District. A minimum flow or level is the…

h2. District to Answer Homeowner, Grower Questions on Freeze Management PlanThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will answer questions about new water use permitting rules for the Dover/Plant City area at a public open house 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, at the Hillsborough Community College Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road, Plant City.The District will present its "frost/freeze management plan and associated…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will receive a portion of $50 million in the state budget for projects that help restore area springs. Gov. Rick Scott announced the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the water management districts have identified 40 springs projects that will receive $50 million as part of the 2017-2018 Fighting for Florida’s Future budget. The $50 million in Legacy Florida funding for springs restoration projects was…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved an agreement today to provide the necessary easements so the Peace River/ Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority can move forward with constructing a reservoir on the RV Griffin Reserve.The six-billion-gallon reservoir will be used to store surface water drawn from the Peace River, which will reduce the region’s dependency on groundwater. Together with the existing 625-million-gallon…

Just as building a house takes more than one tool, protecting springs requires many tools. It takes a combination of scientific expertise, studying, planning, personal passion and more among District staff and its community partners. “In my nearly 20 years here, I’ve worked in various departments and can attest to the multitude of activities in the District all working simultaneously to improve and manage our treasured springs,” said Chris Anastasiou, Chief Environmental…

Whether students are testing water quality, building a water-conserving garden or studying an estuary, Splash! grants enhance water education in public schools. The District’s Splash! school grant program provides up to $3,000 per public school to enhance student  knowledge of freshwater resources issues. The deadline to apply for the 2014-15 school year is Aug. 29. “The grant provides students a chance to learn in a hands-on way,” said Denise Dawson, a…

*Lecanto Primary School* will educate community members regarding efficient ways to conserve water in gardens or plantings around the home through a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org.Through a workshop, residents will learn about water conservation and rainbarrel installation and care techniques. The workshop will be held 5:30 p.m. March 25 in the school's…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the City of Winter Haven Utilities to promote water conservation by providing toilet rebates of up to $100 for each high-volume toilet replaced with a low-flow model.High-volume toilets can use three gallons or more per flush, while low-flow toilets use up to 1.6 gallons per flush.Residential customers within the Winter Haven service area are eligible to participate in the low-flow toilet rebate program. Single…

At its July 26 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.2547 mill, which is .0303 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 by…

Sebring Homeowners Get Irrigation Recommendations The District’s Peace River Basin Board partnered with the Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District to help homeowners improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems. The pilot project brought a mobile irrigation lab to homeowners residing in the city of Sebring. The lab is evaluating residential irrigation systems and developing customized recommendations on irrigation equipment, management…

With the rainy season upon us, now is a great time to think about adding a rain barrel to your yard.Harvesting rainwater with a rain barrel helps supplement irrigation for a small cost. Storing rainwater also helps reduce stormwater runoff, which can lead to reduced levels of pesticides and fertilizers in our water. Many people make rain barrels out of inexpensive 50-gallon food-grade drums that were used to carry juices, olives, pickles, etc. Often you can find barrels…

The District is nearing completion of its effort to upgrade the datum, or starting point, used to record water level elevation. The upgrade will improve accuracy of water elevation, which is measured in feet above the mean sea level.Staff are projected to finish the upgrade by completing the southern regions of the District in 2016.  The datum is being upgraded from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday learned of the District’s recent recognition for its contribution to the promotion and advancement of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA).The association’s mission is to promote water resources education through technical presentations. The association also provides grants to K-12 teachers for water resources education programs and grants as well as scholarships to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop onMonday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lutz Branch Library, located at 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Deer Lake in Hillsborough County.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the District. A…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board this week recognized two District employees for their roles on a successful restoration project that received national recognition. Senior Environmental Scientist Mark Brown and Professional Engineer Paul Miselis were recently presented with the 2005 Coastal America Partnership Award for their work on the Fort DeSoto Ecosystem Restoration Project. The two also received a congratulatory letter from President…

At its June 10 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) 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 estimated by the county property appraisers, will result in an estimated 11.19 percent decrease in ad valorem…

At its June 4 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.2163 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Alafia River Basin Board area covers the southern portion of Hillsborough County and the southwestern portion of Polk County.This proposed millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as estimated by the county property…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop onTuesday, Nov. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at the Jack Stroup Civic Center, located at 355 W. Center Ave. in Sebring. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lakes Jackson and Little Jackson in Highlands County.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at the Jack Stroup Civic Center, located at 355 W. Center Ave. in Sebring. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lakes Letta and Lotela in Highlands County.The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the…

A project in Charlotte County to educate residents about water quality issues and water resources was recently awarded a Community Education Grant from the "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org.Twelve grants were awarded Districtwide this year for a total of $50,319. This is the 15th year Community Education Grants have been available. These grants currently help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water…