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Scott Black, Dade City commissioner, presents Jennifer Closshey, Governing Board treasurer, with the award while Sallie Parks, Governing Board member; Jennette Seachrist, SWIM program manager; Manny Pumariega, Planning Council executive director; and Joe Jordan-Robinson, Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board vice chair, look on. A project that is providing low-salinity fisheries habitat and improving water quality made waves at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning… Read more

Hispanic Outreach Nearly 10 percent of the people who live in the District are Hispanic, and for many, Spanish is their first language. To reach that audience with a water conservation message, the District developed the Hispanic Outreach Program. The idea behind the campaign began with the Governing Board’s Diversity Committee, said project manager John Walkinshaw. Spanish-speaking District employees also showed an interest in promoting the outreach. Alberto… Read more

Who: Moore-Mickens Education Center teachers and students, Royal Oaks Nursing Center residents and staff, Southwest Florida Water Management District Youth Education staffWhat: A grand opening is being held to celebrate the completion of a butterfly, herb and vegetable garden at the nursing center.When: Thursday, April 16, 9:30 a.m.Where: Royal Oaks Nursing Center, 37300 Royal Oak Lane, Dade CityWhy: The students planted a butterfly, herb and vegetable garden for residents… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has reopened the Brogden Bridge airboat slide at Turner Camp Road in Citrus County after completing required maintenance associated with the wooden deck. The slide is located between the Hernando and Inverness pools of the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes. 

The District recently launched a campaign to encourage residents who irrigate their lawns to skip a week of watering during December, January and February. The “Skip a Week” campaign was developed based on research from the University of Florida, which determined that grass doesn’t need to be watered every week during the cooler months. In fact, one-half to three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient. “Residents should water only when their… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved an agreement with Pasco County for the purchase and management of a parcel of environmentally sensitive land within the Weekiwachee Preserve.The District and the county discussed joint acquisition of the 210-acre piece of land before the county agreed to purchase it in November for $4.35 million. Under the agreement, the District will reimburse the county for half the cost.The property is… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 29 at the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center, 75 Taylor Street in Punta Gorda.The meeting, which begins at 1:00 p.m., will follow a joint workshop between the Governing Board and the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority. The workshop, which is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m., will be held at the same location.The Governing Board… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) team of springs experts will begin the Chassahowitzka Springs sediment removal project the week of May 27, 2013. Eliminating the sand and organic materials that have deposited at the bottom of the spring over time will improve the recreational, economical and ecological value of the Chassahowitzka waterway, resulting in a cleaner, more historic looking body of water.The District… Read more

 At the FARMS program presentation are (from left to right) Paul Samuels, Peace River Basin Board member; Mac Carraway, Manasota Basin Board member; Senator Mike Bennett; Representative Nancy Detert; Patsy Symons, Governing Board secretary; Tom Dabney, Governing Board member; Frank Strelec, Manasota Basin Board member; and Ken Harrison, Peace River Basin Board member. Members of the District’s Governing Board and the Manasota and Peace River basin boards… Read more

  Basin Board: Alafia River Basin Board Term: March 5, 2002 to March 1, 2008 Occupation: Real estate broker Town of Residence: Brandon Hometown: Tampa Reason you applied to be a Basin Board member: Having been a Hillsborough County commissioner for two terms, I am aware of the importance of balancing a finite quantity of water… Read more

Most District Basin Boards Propose Lower FY2011 Budgets At their June meetings, the District’s Basin Boards proposed FY2011 millage rates that are equal to or lower than the FY2010 rates, resulting in ad valorem revenue of $58.5 million, $9.7 million lower than FY2010. The Pinellas-Anclote River and Hillsborough River basin boards reduced their proposed millage rates for FY2011, while the remaining Basin Boards left millage rates unchanged. With the… Read more

 Governing Board Chair Todd Pressman. Those who knew Governing Board Chair Todd Pressman as a child probably aren’t surprised that he chose the professional field of land-use issues, political campaigns and lobbying. As a middle school student growing up in Cleveland, he possessed one thing that few other middle schoolers would have, or possibly want — a newspaper subscription. “I was always interested in what was… Read more

The public is welcome to attend an informational meeting to discuss flooding and water quality issues in the Christina watershed in Polk County.The Southwest Florida Management District and Polk County are evaluating the watershed, located in and north of Mulberry in western Polk County within the District’s Alafia River Basin and part of the headwaters to the North Prong of the Alafia River. The watershed boundaries are roughly south of County Road 540A, east of… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting volunteers to the District's "Lake Panasoffkee(Lake Panasoffkee property)":/recreation/areas/lakepanasoffkee.html property in Sumter County to plant trees on "Florida Arbor Day(Florida Arbor Day)":http://www.arborday.org/states/?state=FL, Friday, Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.The District is planting several hundred trees, including live oaks and long leaf pines, in… Read more

At its Aug. 24 meeting in Wauchula, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard reduced the proposed fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) millage rate to 0.3770 mill for the "District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ General Fund, which is 0.0096 mill less than the current fiscal year's rate of 0.3866, reducing ad valorem tax revenue an additional $2.65 million from FY 2010.The reduction is a change from… Read more

Join outdoor enthusiasts across the country June 5 as they celebrate the "American Hiking Society's(American Hiking Society)":http://www.americanhiking.org National Trails Day®.The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is celebrating National Trails Day by inviting the public to ""Get Outside!"(Get outside and explore your conservation lands)":/recreation and explore the more than 850 miles… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2005 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.This year the District awarded 29 grants Districtwide for a total of $107,667.The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a plan to complete a comprehensive study of the Withlacoochee River watershed. The ongoing study was being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) until federal funding dried up. Over the next three fiscal years the District will budget approximately $2 million to complete the study tasks.The first portion of the study that identified water resource issues in the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August at a section of the District’s Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area, which is also known as Flatwoods Park.The property is located off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in the New Tampa area. Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with willing property owners to improve the flood control capability of the Peace Creek Canal by treating aquatic vegetation in select areas.Approximately 20 miles of the canal will be targeted for treatment Nov. 14, 15 or 16. If weather conditions are not favorable, an alternative date is set for Nov. 28-30.The Peace Creek Canal runs from Lake Hamilton to the Peace River and provides necessary drainage for a large… Read more