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Annually, the fourth Saturday in September is recognized as National Public Lands Day (NPLD)! Founded in 1994, NPLD is the largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, drawing thousands of participants each year. Public lands include national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes and reservoirs; as well as state, county and city parks that are managed by federal, state and local governments. These public lands allow…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during December on the District’s Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. The property is approximately six miles east of Dunnellon. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 1,000 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a proposed rolled-back millage rate of 0.2801 mill for the proposed fiscal year 2020 budget. The millage rate is more than 5.2 percent lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.2955 mill, a savings to taxpayers of approximately $6.5 million. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the…

_More than 272,000 acres of dense seagrass digitally mapped_The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently completed a seagrass mapping project to monitor the long-term health of seagrass beds along the Springs Coast. The project involved digitally mapping more than 525,000 acres of submerged land from the mouth of the Anclote River near Tarpon Springs to the mouth of the Withlacoochee River. Seagrass generally grows in waters less than 14 feet deep and is an…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve. The property is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are…

The Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) adopted a proposed FY2016-17 millage rate of 0.3317 mill, 4.9 percent lower than the current fiscal year. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $33 a year, or about $2.76 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2017. The total FY2016-17 proposed budget for the District is $180.1 million.The budget reflects the…

At its Aug. 11 meeting, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us Manasota Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) millage rate of 0.1484 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The "Manasota Basin Board(Manasota Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/manasota.php area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.This millage rate, combined with a reduction in taxable property values…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve. The property is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 200 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are implemented to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve. The property is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 300 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are implemented to mimic…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during March on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve. The property is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 300 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are implemented to…

A five-year project funded by the Southwest Florida Management District and Hillsborough County will help predict flooding and water quality problems through updating the county’s topographical maps.This aerial mapping project, which is in its final phase, is providing detailed topographic maps that show the area’s physical features. From these maps, floodplain boundaries and watersheds may be determined to help predict future flooding and water quality problems…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October and November on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve. The property is approximately 1 mile west of Spring Hill. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 300 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting residents who live near Lake Hancock to an open house concerning the Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project. The open house is being held Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the District’s Bartow Service Office from 3 until 7 p.m.Residents who own property within the Lake Hancock area that may be impacted if the project is implemented are encouraged to attend so they can discuss the project with District staff.The Lake…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will hold a dedication event to celebrate the completion of phase one of the Coral Creek Restoration project. The District, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Charlotte County, restored approximately 250 acres of uplands and wetlands through this important project. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 22 at 11 a.m. at the Coral Creek…

   James Fine, office chief of the Project Management Office A new office at the District aims to improve the consistency and efficiency of District water resource projects. The Project Management Office (PMO) was recently created to support the cooperative funding process and other District initiatives. By reviewing and refining the current procedures, the PMO will find ways to improve the process, said James Fine, the new office chief of the…

A devastating weather year led to the creation of the District and weather continues to guide the District’s policies and procedures during the last six decades. As the District celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, today’s water management decisions are strongly guided by the floods, freezes and droughts of the past. The District was founded in response to a destructive year of flooding in 1960 caused by a spring rainfall event that brought 27 inches of rain…

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Joshua Gamblin and reappointed John Mitten and Michelle Williamson to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Gamblin represents DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties, Mitten represents Hernando and Marion counties, and Williamson represents Hillsborough County. Gamblin, of Arcadia, is the ranch manager of Stolen Saddle Ranch. He earned his bachelor’s degree in natural resource management in wildlife from…

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 Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect a new slate of officers for the 2018-2019 term. Jeffrey M. Adams was elected chair of the Governing Board. Adams represents Pinellas County and is an attorney and partner with the law firm of Abbey, Adams, LLP, in St. Petersburg.…

Governor Ron DeSantis has reappointed Ed Armstrong and William Hogarth to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Both Armstrong and Hogarth represent Pinellas County and were both reappointed for a term ending March 2026. Armstrong, of Dunedin, currently serves as treasurer of the Governing Board and was recently elected vice chair. He is a shareholder with…