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The Marshall Hampton Reserve was acquired by the District in 2008. The Polk County Environmental Lands Program entered into a management agreement with the District in 2010 to oversee the management of the property. The acquisition of this property protected a significant amount of shoreline and floodplain swamp on the edge of Lake Hancock. Lake Hancock is often referred to as the headwaters of the Peace River. At times the property can be extremely wet, often…

In 1995, the Schultz Preserve was purchased with funding from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and Hillsborough County through its Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection program. This 134-acre tract is currently managed by the Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department. Formerly used to deposit dredge material, the Schultz Preserve was restored to mangrove forest, coastal and freshwater…

 Acquired in 2003 for preservation of natural systems, groundwater recharge, water quality and flood protection, the preserve offers a stunning landscape of steep sandhill ridges, expansive marshes, dense cypress sloughs and lush pine flatwoods. The District manages the preserve's resources to protect and restore the natural and altered ecosystems when possible. This includes extensive restoration to areas that were converted to pasture when it was privately owned and…

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…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to an open house about Lake Panasoffkee on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The workshop will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at "Lake Panasoffkee Recreation Park(Lake Panasoffkee Recreation Park)":http://sumtercountyfl.gov/index.aspx?NID=207, 1582 CR 459, Lake Panasoffkee.The District is holding the open house to discuss the success of the restoration project as well as current…

_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 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.…

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 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,…

   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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…