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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The purpose of the virtual workshop is to allow for public comment on recommended minimum flows for the Lower Peace River in Charlotte and DeSoto counties. In accordance with the directive in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Emergency Order to conduct all public meetings electronically, members of the public may… Read more

A multimillion-dollar cooperative project among three government entities is cleaning up a watershed that eventually empties into Tampa Bay. The creation of McIntosh Park began when Hillsborough County purchased the 400-acre plot through its Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) for Plant City. The land is adjacent to the downstream segment of the Eastside Canal, which was built in the late 1930s to drain the 6,000-acre Eastside Canal… Read more

Hundreds of second-grade students experienced animals, art projects, exhibits and more all while learning the importance of natural resources and careers in science. The students were at the recent Water, Wings and Wild Things Kids Festival organized by Polk County’s Nature Discovery Center. Various vendors set up booths at the outdoor festival, including the District. The event took place at Circle B Bar Reserve, which is a land jointly owned by the Polk County… Read more

Heidi B. McCree was selected during the spring election by unanimous vote as the first female Governing Board chair in the 44-year history of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Other Board officers elected include Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice, vice chair; Judith C. “Judy” Whitehead, treasurer; and Patsy C. Symons, secretary. “I want to thank the Board for this honor and look forward to carrying on an important legacy,” McCree said. “We have achieved great… Read more

Don Kubiak, director of the botanical gardens, and Dick Keller, co-director, share a laugh with Fox 13’s Bill Murphy during the taping of a One Tank Trips segment featuring the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens. The District is celebrating an educational milestone with the 10th anniversary of the Community Education Grant Program, a program that motivates adults to get involved in projects that promote water resources protection. The grants are used for… Read more

The Hillsborough River will get a dose of spring cleaning this Sunday, April 22 when Lowry Park Zoo’s Boy Scouts of America Zoo Troop 47 holds its annual cleanup from 8 a.m. until noon. The cleanup will focus on the Lowry Park Boat Ramp area and River Park by the Sulphur Springs water tower.Other volunteer groups, including Cub Scouts and their parents, Orange Grove Middle School volunteers, and teachers from the Lowry Park Zoo’s “Zoo School,” will… Read more

Some Areas Show Significant Gains Scientists with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) completed the latest round of seagrass mapping along Florida’s Springs Coast. The results of the aerial imagery collected show 586,511 acres of mapped seagrass habitat along the Springs Coast, up slightly from the previous total of 577,920 acres in 2016. The open water nature of the area and the largely undeveloped and expansive coastal wetlands… Read more

A cooperatively funded project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Lakeland will restore Lake Morton shoreline, which in turn will prevent erosion, improve water quality and provide natural habitat.Lake Morton is a 40-acre lake with approximately 1 mile of shoreline. The lake, located in a highly urbanized part of Lakeland, is a headwater lake in the Peace River system that discharges into Lake Hollingsworth. Its water quality and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during October and November on three District sites in Pasco County. The sites are the Upper Hillsborough property, the Connerton property, and the Starkey property.The Upper Hillsborough property is approximately 3 miles east of Zephyrhills. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.The Connerton property is approximately 7 miles… Read more

Gov. Rick Scott recently appointed Wendy J. Giesy-Griffin to the District’s Governing Board. Giesy-Griffin of Lithia is a former environmental consultant. She was appointed to succeed Hugh M. Gramling and her term ends March 1, 2016. Giesy-Griffin consulted with Metis Environmental Services beginning in 1996. Prior to that, she was an environmental administrator with the Florida Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1985, and an environmental technician and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a virtual workshop Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m.The purpose of the virtual workshop is to allow for public comment on recommended minimum flows for Horse Creek and Charlie Creek. Horse Creek and Charlie Creek are located in portions of DeSoto, Hardee and Polk counties and are two tributaries of the Peace River.Members of the public may join the meeting via Microsoft Teams through this link… Read more

The public is invited to share ideas concerning potential water resources restoration projects when the Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council meets on Oct. 19.The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council will meet at 3 p.m. in Conference Rooms A & B, 1st Floor, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District Headquarters, 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council was formed by the state Legislature in 2003. The… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Manatee County. The District will provide virtual outreach now through Sept. 20 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the Pearce Drain/Gap Creek Watershed… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Sumter County. The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through Oct. 19 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the Nichols Pond Watershed.… Read more

District Approves Budget The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board recently adopted its fiscal year 2012–13 (FY2012–13) millage rate and budget. The Governing Board adopted a FY2012–13 millage rate of 0.3928 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. FY2012–13 will run from Oct. 1, 2012, through Sept. 30, 2013. With taxable property values declining by 2.9 percent, this rate will result in a $3 million reduction in ad valorem property tax… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering information to improve identification of flooding risks for six Marion County watersheds.This information is being developed as part of the *Blichton*, *Martel*, *SR 200* and *Cotton Plant 1, 2 and 3* watershed management plans. The plans were cooperatively funded by the District and Marion County.The District is holding an open house in Marion County to present… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and Hernando County will hold a public workshop Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 p.m. to share the results of the Weeki Wachee Natural System Carrying Capacity Study. The meeting will take place at the Coast Guard Auxiliary Meeting Hall, located at 4340 Calienta St. in Hernando Beach. This ecologically-based study evaluated how recreational use affects the river. During the workshop, staff from the District, Hernando… Read more

Habitats are thriving at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa thanks to a District project aimed at restoring natural systems and improving water quality for Tampa Bay.  District staff completed the third and final phase of a restoration project at MacDill last fall, along the southern tip of Tampa’s Interbay Peninsula near the base’s golf course. Workers dug and expanded water channels, removed non-native plants and planted native species in an effort to improve… Read more

 Gov. Rick Scott (right) with new Governing Board appointee George Mann. Gov. Rick Scott recently appointed George Mann to the District’s Governing Board. Mann, of Polk City, is a retired business development manager at Treatt USA, which processes citrus products. Mann was appointed to succeed Neil Combee, and his term ends March 1, 2013. Mann is currently serving as a board member of Anchor House Ministry. Previously, he served on the Florida Citrus… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Manatee County. The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through June 24 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain… Read more