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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/…

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…

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…

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…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through March at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, which includes the Green Swamp East Tract in Polk, Sumter and Lake counties; the Hampton Tract in Polk County; and the Green Swamp West Tract in Pasco County.…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through March on Starkey Wilderness Preserve and Conner Preserve.Starkey Wilderness Preserve is located east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway, north of State Road 54 and south of State Road 52. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small,…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has reopened the Flying Eagle Dead River Flats airboat slide after completing required maintenance. The airboat slide is located on the Flying Eagle berm between the Withlacoochee River and Flying Eagle Marsh in eastern Citrus County.

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…

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…

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…

Some areas of the District are still seeing rising floodwater. Flooding can occur days and even weeks after a storm due to numerous factors. Where, when and how much rainfall occurred are just some of the reasons for post-Milton flooding.When: The District has experienced an above-average year of rainfall. Hurricane Milton brought heavy rains at the end of the summer rainy season when the ground was already saturated and water levels were already high,…

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…

Who: Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Department, Springs Coast Environmental Education Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Division of Forestry, Hernando County Planning Department, Hernando County Audubon Society and volunteersWhat: As part of the 16th Annual National Public Lands Day, the District’s Land Resources Department is promoting a volunteer work day at the Springs…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and NOAA's National Weather Service will host a public information meeting about Lake Panasoffkee on Thursday, October 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Lake Panasoffkee Recreation Center, located at 1582 County Rd. 459 in Lake Panasoffkee.The District will present information about the lake levels and the…

Left: Mark Hammond, resource projects director, shows the Lake Hancock property and project areas. Right: District Governing Board members and staff visit the current outfall at Lake Hancock. (From left to right, Board Members Ron Oakley, Paul Senft and Carlos Beruff with District staff members Mark Hammond and Chuck Lane.) District staff and Governing Board members recently toured Lake Hancock in Polk County for an update on the progress of several projects…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public workshop Tuesday, June 11, to share information about the proposed minimum flow reevaluations for the Chassahowitzka and Homosassa River Systems. The meeting will take place at the College of Central Florida, Citrus Campus, Citrus Conference Center Building C4, located at 3800 S. Lecanto Highway…

Workshop to follow at 10:30 a.m.The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. After the Governing Board meeting, the District will hold an informational workshop on water related issues. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July, August, and September on both the "Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract(Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve)":/recreation/areas/myakka-deerprairie.html.Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, lies between Interstate 75 and US…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Serenova Tract, which is part of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve, will be closed to the public Dec. 19-21. The District is limiting access to the property for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors during a bow/archery hunt.The Serenova Tract is located in Pasco County, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Water Starkey wellfield. The entrance is just west of the Suncoast Parkway on the…