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The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August and September on both the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract."Deer Prairie Creek Preserve(Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve)":/recreation/areas/myakka-deerprairie.html, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, lies between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which lies north and south of… Read more

Just in time for National Public Lands Day, the District is launching its “Get Outside!” campaign on September 26 to promote the District’s lands to the public. “Get Outside!” is a communications campaign based on research that focuses on what would make people more likely to get outside on District lands. The goal of the campaign is to promote the value of ecosystem protection through recreation on conservation lands. The District has… Read more

Don’t miss Hillsborough County’s hiking spree featuring numerous District lands. The hiking spree encourages residents and visitors to get out and explore the county’s parks. Edward Medard Conservation Park,… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is celebrating February as Florida Hiking Trails Month by inviting the public to ""Get Outside!"(Get outside and explore more than 50 recreation sites on conservation lands)":/recreation/ and explore the more than 850 miles of hiking trails on District lands. The "Florida Department of Environmental Protection(Florida Department of Environmental… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) considers feral hogs an invasive exotic species. Hogs negatively impact wetlands and other habitats by “rooting” up the soil while searching for food. They prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to other wildlife, livestock and humans. Additionally, hogs may facilitate the spread of exotic plant species by transporting seeds and/or providing germination sites through… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in five of Hardee County's watersheds.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 FEMA Flood Insurance Rate… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ has begun a nationwide search for a new executive director today following the resignation of "David L. Moore":/about/staff/moore.php last month.The District's "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard accepted Moore's resignation on Friday and appointed the District's General Counsel "William S. Bilenky":/about/staff/bilenky.html to serve as interim executive… Read more

The Southwest Water Management District (District) will host an open house and community meeting regarding the Medard Reservoir Thursday, Jan. 23, at Durant High School located at 4748 Cougar Path in Plant City. The open house portion of the meeting will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by a presentation from 7 to 8:30 p.m.During the open house, District staff, along with representatives from Hillsborough County and the National Weather Service, will be available to answer… Read more

Purchase Made in Partnership with The Nature Conservancy The Southwest Florida Water Management District has closed on the purchase of the environmentally important Rainbow River Ranch. This important land acquisition is about 16 percent of the eastern bank of the Rainbow River, and along with existing public ownership, will allow the District to continue its mission of protecting water resources and this important natural resource.  This property… Read more

Safety First  Gary Kuhl, left, Operations Department Director, accepted an award from Stephen H. Partney, P.E., Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Program Administrator at a recent banquet in Arizona. The District’s Operations Department has been recognized on a national level for its commitment to safety. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) recently presented the District with the Southeast Region Award of Merit for… Read more

Purchase Made in Partnership with The Nature Conservancy The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) has closed on the purchase of the environmentally important Rainbow River Ranch. This important land acquisition is about 16 percent of the eastern bank of the Rainbow River, and along with existing public ownership, will allow the District to continue its mission of protecting water resources and this important natural resource. This property and its… Read more

  For Trisha Neasman, growing up was anything but ordinary. Raised in a military family, Neasman has lived in a variety of places, including New Jersey, Mississippi, Texas and Japan. “Moving around helped me to become more independent and allowed me to experience living in cities of all sizes,” said Neasman. With each move, she embraced all that each city had to offer. Her favorite place to live was in Lorman, Mississippi, where her father was a… Read more

Citrus County residents are invited to attend the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Get Outside!" event at "Potts Preserve(Potts Preserve)":/recreation/areas/potts.html on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The free event includes guided nature hikes, a native animal presentation, an archery adventure for all ages, children's activities, waterless fishing and more. Scenic boat tours of the Withlacoochee… Read more

It started with a single blade of eelgrass, actually thousands of them.  District springs experts are hoping those blades of grass will thrive and grow into dense vegetation that will improve water quality and sustain beneficial fish and wildlife habitats in Kings Bay. The pilot project is part of the District’s Hunters Cove Restoration Project. The first phase of the project is to grow a special type of eelgrass in mats made of coconut coir material. This… Read more

The Florida Senate has confirmed the appointments of Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director Robert Beltran and seven Governing Board members. H. Paul Senft, Jr., representing Polk County, was first appointed to the Governing Board in 2008 and reappointed in 2012 by Governor Rick Scott. His term expires in March of 2019.Jeffery M. Adams, representing Pinellas County, was first appointed to the Governing Board in 2010 and reappointed by Governor Rick… Read more

Passing the Torch     This spring the Governing Board “passed the torch” to a group of new leaders. The April elections brought about a change in each of the four offices. Thomas “Tom” G. Dabney was elected chair. “It’s an honor to be chosen chair by this Governing Board,” Dabney said. “We face many water resources challenges in our District. Serving as chair, I look forward to working with this excellent Governing Board and District staff… Read more

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 now through Sept. 30, at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the Jack Creek… Read more

At its Aug. 4 meeting, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board reduced its millage rate to 0.2600 mill for fiscal year 2011 (FY2011), which is 0.06 mill less than the current fiscal year. This lowered millage rate, combined with a reduction in property values as certified by the Pinellas and Pasco county property appraisers, will result in a $5.7 million… Read more

Why a Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Program is Key to Protecting our Springs Guest Editorial The Springs Coast is one of the most vibrant and dynamic regions in Florida, providing both economic and ecological benefit to the communities that call it home. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is the leading scientific agency on springs in the region with the mission of improving and restoring these natural treasures. Over the years,… Read more

At its June 9 meeting, the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) millage rate of 0.2900 mill, which is 0.03 mill less than the current fiscal year. This is the fourth consecutive year the "Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board(Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board)":/about/basinboards/pinellas-anclote.php has lowered… Read more