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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…

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…

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…

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…

  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…

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…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering information to improve identification of flooding risks for two Marion County watersheds.This information is being developed as part of the *Gum Swamp* and *Big Jones Creek* 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 preliminary floodplain…

At its August 27 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board reduced its millage rate to 0.3200 mill for fiscal year 2010 (FY2010), which is .0400 lower than the current fiscal year. The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board area includes Pinellas County and the southern portion of Pasco County.This lowered millage rate, combined with a reduction in property values as certified by the Pinellas and Pasco county property…

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…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering information to improve identification of flooding risks for three Marion County watersheds.This information is being developed as part of the *Flemington*, *Hog Prairie* and *Northwest Ocala* 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 preliminary…

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…

10-year project scheduled for completion in OctoberThe Southwest Florida Water Management District is inviting the media to tour the restored lake and spoil disposal area of the Lake Panasoffkee restoration project on Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 from 9 a.m. to noon.The $26.9 million project was designed to restore Lake Panasoffkee’s historic fish bedding areas, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation of the third largest lake in west-central Florida. When…

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,…

Three members of the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board took their oaths of office Tuesday.Judith C. Whitehead of Brooksville was reappointed to succeed Patsy C. Symons. Last year the state Legislature reassigned Symons’ seat to represent Hernando and Marion counties and added two new seats to the Governing Board for a total of 13 members. Whitehead, the owner of Residential Appraisal Service, was first appointed to the Governing Board…

In April, the Southwest Florida Water Management District will celebrate the Peace River and the Peace River watershed with a series of events along the river.The District’s Peace River Basin Board has declared the week of April 14 through April 21 as “Peace River Watershed Awareness Week.” Participating county governments also plan to recognize this first-of-a-kind event.In conjunction with the awareness week, four events are planned within the Peace…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…