Search Content

This summer a group of international visitors spent time learning about the District and sharing ideas with District staff. Ed Hobin, outreach projects coordinator for the District and a Rotarian, hosted a group of New Zealanders. Henry Davies, a member of the Wellington North Rotary Club, led the group. Davies is a banker specializing in online services. Accompanying Davies on the tour were a clinical psychologist, a police officer and two hospitality and tourism… Read more

Recent cold weather has taken a toll on Florida plant life and may have damaged area sprinkler systems too. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has a few simple steps that residents can use to help their plants, lawns and irrigation systems recover from freezing temperatures. Wait to Water and Prune The need for watering decreases dramatically with cooler temperatures. Overwatering in the winter can encourage pests and disease in… Read more

The District’s Governing Board, along with the Florida Legislature and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, declared April Springs Protection Awareness Month. There are many actions you can take at home to help protect springs.  A spring only is as healthy as its springshed, which is the area of land that contributes water to a spring. Activities within springsheds impact groundwater, and therefore, affect the water flowing from a spring. Help… Read more

To provide flood protection to lakefront properties, the Southwest Florida Water Management District Tuesday will begin releasing water through flood control structure S-353 on the Hernando Pool of the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes.S-353 releases water into an outfall canal that discharges into the Withlacoochee River near Holder. The operation of the structure is guided by a legal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that requires water to be released when levels… Read more

To provide flood protection to lakefront properties, the Southwest Florida Water Management District Tuesday will begin releasing water through flood control structure S-353 on the Hernando Pool of the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes.S-353 releases water into an outfall canal that discharges into the Withlacoochee River near Holder. The operation of the structure is guided by a legal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that requires water to be released when levels… Read more

The Southwest Florida Management District and the City of St. Petersburg are working together on three projects that will improve drainage in four St. Petersburg neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are Palmetto Park, Norwood Heights, Ponce De Leon and Jungle Terrace.All of the projects are part of a 1994 stormwater management master plan developed by the city. During heavy rain the neighborhoods experience street flooding because the existing drainage systems are outdated and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is collecting public comment on the proposed minimum and guidance levels for Cypress, Garden and Halfmoon lakes in Hillsborough County. In accordance with the directive in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Emergency Order to conduct all public meetings electronically, the District will provide virtual outreach now through Sept. 8 at… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect Michelle Williamson as the new secretary for the 2021-2022 term. Williamson represents Hillsborough County and is operations manager of G&F Farms in Dover. Williamson was appointed to the Governing Board in December 2020, and her term expires March 1, 2024. Williamson previously served on the Board from August 2016 to August 2020, during which time she held the offices of… Read more

A project in Marion County featuring educational sessions about the ecology and other environmental issues surrounding Rainbow Springs 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… Read more

A project in Citrus County featuring educational sessions about the ecology and other environmental issues surrounding Rainbow Springs 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":http://www.WaterMatters.org/CommunityGrants have been available. These grants help fund… Read more

Eight Pinellas County projects were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants provide up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 38 grants Districtwide for a total of $136,598. This is the 11th year Community Education Grants have been available.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively… Read more

 The canal and its water-control structure were completed in 1971 to help regulate flooding around Lake Tarpon and the lower sections of Brooker Creek. The structure prevents salt water from entering Lake Tarpon during high tides and protects the lake's freshwater ecology. The District donated 46 acres to the city of Oldsmar for the development of public recreational facilities and leased an additional 75 acres to enable the city to expand passive recreation to part of… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us invites the public to a meeting to gather input on the land use and management plans for the District's "Potts Preserve(Potts Preserve)":/recreation/areas/potts.html and "Flying Eagle Preserve(Flying Eagle Preserve)":/recreation/areas/flyingeagle.html in Citrus County.The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on July 8 at the East Citrus Community Center,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a proposed rolled-back millage rate of 0.2669 mill for the fiscal year 2021 budget. The millage rate is more than 4.7% lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.2801 mill, a savings to taxpayers of approximately $6 million. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $26.69 a… Read more

Two Southwest Florida Water Management District projects will help two Hardee County citrus groves reduce groundwater pumping.The first project involves installing two soil moisture sensors and a weather station at the Groves of Peace River, Inc. and the second project involves installing four soil moisture sensors and two weather stations at Las Lomas Holdings, Inc.Soil moisture sensors increase irrigation efficiency by only irrigating when water is needed. Weather… Read more

"The Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) invites the public to a workshop on Wednesday, August 13 held from 6:00 to 8:30 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 proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lakes Hanna, Keene and Kell; the existing minimum and guidance levels for Lake Stemper; and structure operational… Read more

Governor Rick Scott appointed Bryan K. Beswick and Thomas E. "Tommy" Bronson to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board.":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ Beswick represents DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties. Bronson is the representative for Hernando and Marion counties.Beswick, of Arcadia, is the grove manager for Blue Goose Growers LLC and a sales associate with Blue Goose Realty. He previously served on the Southwest… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) may need to activate the Tampa Bypass Canal system in response to heavy rains in the Tampa Bay area. Boat barriers were put in place where I-75 crosses the Hillsborough River, restricting navigation in that area. The Hillsborough River is nearing an elevation of 25 feet above sea level, which triggers the Army Corps of Engineers activation level of the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention (LHFDA) area. This involves… Read more

A District restoration project in Sarasota County recently won an award from the Florida Stormwater Association (FSA). The Hudson Bayou In-Stream Restoration and Water Quality Improvements Project recently received a 2020 Excellence Award from FSA. The award recognizes projects with an outstanding commitment to stormwater management practices that benefit the environment and residents. This project treats stormwater from about an 800-acre urbanized watershed.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Tuesday, April 9, at 5:30 p.m. to collect public comment on the proposed minimum levels for Lake Tulane and Lake Verona in Highlands County.Members of the public may join the meeting via Microsoft Teams at https://bit.ly/minimumlevels. The Google Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with… Read more