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The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Tuesday to elect officers for the 2022-2023 term. Joel Schleicher was elected chair of the Governing Board. Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties and has used his vast knowledge as a successful entrepreneur to challenge the status quo while giving back to the community via various organizations. Schleicher was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2017 and reappointed in July…

Advanced technology has reached nearly every single aspect of the District in one way or another throughout the organization’s history, most notably in the past two decades. “The technological changes during my tenure alone were like going from horse and buggy to putting a man on the moon in a very short period of time,” said Pete Hubbell, District executive director from 1988 to 1997. Information Resources In the early 2000s, the District’s operating system…

For the second year in a row, Lee Wetherington Homes took home the Water-Wise Landscape Recognition Awards for Sarasota County at the annual Home Builders Association Parade of Homes banquet. This year Lee Wetherington Homes also took home the award for Manatee County.The winning designs were the Addison model in Manatee County and the Casablanca in Sarasota County. Sun State Landscaping designed the landscaping and irrigation at each location.The Water-Wise Landscape…

For the sixth year in a row, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a rolled back millage rate of 0.3131 mill for the proposed fiscal year 2018 budget.The millage rate is more than 5.6 percent lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.3317 mill, a savings to taxpayers of $6.7 million.For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would…

h2. Effort Increases Efficiency, Reduces Costs and Retains Major ProgramsThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ this week completed its organizational restructuring which is expected to reduce District expenses by more than $15 million a year. The reorganization increases efficiencies, reduces operational costs and meets the District's core mission responsibilities in the areas of water supply, flood protection, water…

Water Management on the Move Representatives from the City of Lakeland, Florida Southern College and the District recently celebrated the completion of a stormwater treatment wetland at Anchor Park. The Southern Landing Stormwater Treatment Wetland Project will improve water quality in Lake Hollingsworth, serve as a beautiful area for public recreation, and provide research opportunities for students attending Florida Southern College. This project builds upon…

The public is welcome to attend an information meeting to discuss water resources issues and watershed planning in the Roberts Bay North Watershed in Sarasota County.This public workshop will be held March 15, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Southgate Community Association Building, located at 3145 Southgate Circle in Sarasota.The Southwest Florida Management District and Sarasota County are evaluating conditions in the watershed, which is located in northwest Sarasota County and…

Who: Approximately 100 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County and Southwest Florida Water Management District staffWhat: The District is coordinating a field trip at the Weekiwachee Preserve for children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County. The youth will learn about land management techniques by seeing staff demonstrate a variety of equipment they use in the field.They will also participate in a guided hike, a watershed education…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of November and throughout December and January on the District’s Upper Hillsborough property in Pasco County.The Upper Hillsborough property is approximately one mile east of Zephyrhills. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 500 acres of land will be burned in small,…

Who: Approximately 70 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County and Southwest Florida Water Management District staffWhat: The District is coordinating a field trip at the Weekiwachee Preserve for children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County. The youth will learn about land management techniques by witnessing a controlled burn demonstration and seeing staff demonstrate a variety of equipment they use in the field.They will also…

Senator Paula Dockery will be in the City of Webster Thursday to present a $500,000 check to city officials for the city’s stormwater plan.The presentation will be held at 3 p.m. at Webster City Hall, east of S.R. 471.Members of the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing and Basin Boards will also attend the presentation.The state, city and the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board, are cooperatively funding this project.The City of Webster’s stormwater…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during July and August on the District’s Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. The property is approximately five 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during April on the District’s Cypress Creek property in Pasco County. The property is approximately 3 miles east of Land O’ Lakes. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 250 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love,…

Students at Dunellon Middle School believe “there ought to be a law” to better protect Florida’s springs and their surrounding watersheds.The seventh and eighth-grade students will present their case Thursday morning to Representative Larry Cretul, who represents parts of Marion, Levy and Alachua counties. The presentation will take place at 10 a.m. in the school’s auditorium. Cretul invited students to come up with a proposal they believe should be…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October on the District’s Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. The property is approximately eight miles east of Dunnellon. 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":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ (District) adopted a proposed FY2015-16 millage rate of 0.3488 mill, 4.6 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 $34.88 a year, or about $2.91 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016. The total FY2015-16 proposed budget…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during March 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 will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during January on the District’s Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. The property is approximately 10 miles east of Dunnellon. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 500 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 will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October and November on the District’s Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. The property is approximately 8 miles east of Dunnellon. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 700 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 (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Highlands County. The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Nov. 11 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the…