Search Content

At its June 7 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) millage rate of 0.240 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.Further, in the event that a tax reduction is mandated by the Legislature during its special session later this month, the Basin Board has authorized the Executive Director to recalculate its millage rate to reflect the change in revenue prescribed by the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of March and April on the District’s Weekiwachee Preserve and the Annuteliga Hammock.The Weekiwachee Preserve is approximately one mile west of Spring Hill. Approximately 300 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Annuteliga Hammock tract is approximately three miles south of Chassahowitzka. Approximately 800 acres of land… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the months of October through December on the District’s Deer Prairie Creek property. The property is located north and south of I-75 between mile markers 186 and 190. The property’s southern border is U.S. 41 between Myakka River and the North Port. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the purchase of a parcel of land in connection with the Lake Hancock Project. The property is an important part of the creation of a greenway link.The parcel is approximately 590 acres of land and is located along the eastern shore of Lake Hancock. Located west of Thornhill Road, south of the Polk Parkway and State Road 540, the property is being purchased for $5,225,000 from Tom and Tham… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October and November on two District sites in Hillsborough County. The sites are the Alafia Reservoir property and the Lower Hillsborough property.The Alafia Reservoir property is approximately 3 miles southwest of Lithia. Approximately 25 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Lower Hillsborough property is approximately 4 miles northeast… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the purchase of a 5,484-acre parcel of land in Citrus County. This acquisition will be added to the 11,454 acres that the District either owns or holds an interest within the Flying Eagle project.The property, commonly known as the McGregor Smith Scout Reservation,is located south of S.R. 44 in Citrus County, approximately 6 miles east of the City of Inverness.The land is being purchased for $… Read more

Electronic Innovation Testing is complete! The District is now offering the opportunity for permit holders to submit required data conditions over the Internet. A few years ago, the District asked permit holders if there was an interest in doing away with the current forms and submitting data online. The answer was a resounding “YES.” Permit holders also told the District about specific needs and wants with an online system and staff developers successfully… Read more

Agricultural permit holders can now utilize a new element of the District’s Water Management Information System (WMIS). The WMIS is being designed to centralize information from the District’s well construction permitting, resource data, water use permitting and environmental resource permitting databases, making it easily accessible for both the staff and the public. Upon completion, the WMIS will increase the amount of information online, facilitate online… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is seeking public input to improve identification of flooding risks in the *Buffalo Canal/Frog Creek watershed* of Manatee County.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the "Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)(Federal Emergency Management Agency)":http://www.fema.gov on its national effort to "update and modernize the… Read more

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

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public meeting on Thursday, July 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the SouthShore Regional Library of Hillsborough County in Community Room 2, located at 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin. The purpose of the meeting is for the public to learn more about the proposed restoration plans for public properties along… Read more

Staff and dignitaries attended the grand opening ceremony of the Frances Archbold Hufty Learning Center and Adrian Archbold Lodge at Archbold Biological Station in Highlands County. The station is an independent, not-for-profit organization offering programs in ecological research, education and conservation. The District provided funding for educational exhibits, signage and a demonstration garden that will educate visitors about the Lake Wales Ridge, Florida scrub… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August and September on the District's "Flatwoods Park(Flatwoods Park)":/recreation/areas/lh-flatwoods.html in Hillsborough County.Some entrances or trails at Flatwoods Park may be temporarily closed on weekdays during August and September to facilitate the safe execution of prescribed burns. The entrance at 13630 Morris… Read more

Sunday marked the start of another hurricane season and the 10th anniversary of one the most destructive  and costly seasons in Florida. During the 2004 hurricane season, four storms – Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jean – crisscrossed the state bringing major destruction and devastation including many parts of the District. That hurricane season changed how the District responded to emergencies. Staff worked in numerous capacities in the recovery efforts from… Read more

Polk County residents are invited to attend the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org "Get Outside!" event at the Hampton Tract on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The free event includes family-friendly activities such as guided nature hikes, "I Spy" scavenger hunts, a native plant raffle and more.The 11,052-acre "Hampton Tract(Hampton Tract)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/… Read more

Understanding the Lake Hancock Projects Local government representatives and members of the District’s Governing Board and Alafia River, Hillsborough River, Manasota and Peace River basin boards recently braved the elements to tour the Lake Hancock project area. Several local officials, including Polk County Commissioners and a representative from Rep. Dennis Ross’ office, also attended the tour, which allowed participants the chance to gain a better understanding… Read more

Worth the Wait A project in the works for more than a decade is revitalizing Lake Maggiore and its 2,290-acre watershed in southern Pinellas County. “This project attempts to set back the clock on a long history of water quality problems at Lake Maggiore,” said Manuel López, project manager and senior environmental scientist with the District’s environmental section. “We think residents who live near the lake, as well as visitors, will eventually see conditions… Read more

Are you looking for a quiet place for a bike ride, a hike or just a peaceful picnic? The Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is a great choice. The District’s sole Marion County property with regular public access, the preserve is named after Seminole leader Hálpata Tastanaki (Chief Alligator) who, along with Osceola, Jumper and approximately 1,000 warriors, took part in the largest battle of the Second Seminole Indian War in 1836. The preserve is located on the… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live… Read more

At its June 16 meeting, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us Manasota Basin Board adopted a proposed 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 property… Read more