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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Serenova Tract, which is part of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve, will be closed to the public Jan. 12-14. The District is limiting access to the property to prepare for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors.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 south side of State… Read more

The District took to the air this spring to treat hydrilla on selected areas of Lake Panasoffkee. The aquatic herbicide Aquathol K was applied to approximately 200 acres of the 4,000-acre lake. Aerial application by helicopter is used when large, open-water areas require treatment and is much more efficient than by boat. The helicopter was able to treat approximately 10 acres per trip, completing the 200-acre area in a couple hours. This treatment would have taken… Read more

Gov. Jeb Bush recently appointed Jack Bispham to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board.Bispham, who is from Sarasota, is the owner and president of Bayside Sod, Inc. He succeeds Evelio Sardina. Bispham’s term began May 8 and ends March 1, 2008.The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties, which are each represented by a minimum of three people. A Governing Board member presides as the chair ex officio of… Read more

The District took to the air this spring to treat hydrilla on selected areas of Lake Panasoffkee. The aquatic herbicide Aquathol K was applied to approximately 200 acres of the 4,000-acre lake. Aerial application by helicopter is used when large, open-water areas require treatment and is much more efficient than by boat. The helicopter was able to treat approximately 10 acres per trip, completing the 200-acre area in a couple hours. This treatment would have taken… Read more

Members of the District’s Governing Board and Withlacoochee River Basin Board recently celebrated with the City of Webster’s Mayor Stephen Croft and city officials as Senator Paula Dockery presented a $500,000 check to assist with funding of the city’s stormwater project. City officials expect significant development and growth in Webster over the next years. The stormwater project will help develop a watershed management plan that will address flood protection… Read more

The Florida Greenways and Trails Council has agreed to include three Southwest Florida Water Management District properties in the state’s designated system of greenways and trails.The properties include the 18,000-acre Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County, the 16,000-acre Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area in Hillsborough County and the 31-mile segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail that goes through the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve.The goal of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently purchased land along the Rainbow River that will help protect the Rainbow Spring run. The District purchased a significant portion of the eastern bank of the Rainbow River and the Governing Board approved this contract at the March meeting.  “Evaluating environmentally sensitive acquisition opportunities and leveraging partnership dollars is a critical strategy in the District’s Strategic Plan” said… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public meeting Tuesday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m., to share information about the Weeki Wachee Channel Restoration Project. The meeting will take place at the Coast Guard Auxiliary Meeting Hall, located at 4340 Calienta St. in Hernando Beach. This multiyear project evaluated accumulated sediments in the river and identified where removal of sediments will benefit the river’s ecosystem. The contractor… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in North Port.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The current FIRMs are 30 years old and are outdated because natural and physical changes caused… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in Citrus County's Cardinal Lane watershed.The District is serving as a cooperating technical partner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its national effort to update and modernize the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Most of the current FIRMs are 10 to 30 years old and are outdated… Read more

At its August 7 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rate of 0.1827 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year. The Peace River Basin Board area includes Hardee, DeSoto and portions of Polk, Highlands and Charlotte counties.This millage rate combined with a reduction in taxable property values as certified by the five county property appraisers will result in an estimated… Read more

Through the crystal waters of the Chassahowitzka, guests could spot schools of fish swimming near the spring vent and even a young manatee swimming nearby. The wildlife at the beloved Citrus County waterway are benefitting from the first phase of the Chassahowitzka Springs Restoration Project. About 120 people attended a… Read more

Two former Governing Board members, Watson Haynes II and Janet Kovach, were honored for their service at a barbecue lunch with District staff and afterward at the April Governing Board meeting. Haynes served on the Board from March 1999 to March 2006. During that time, he served a one-year term as the Governing Board chair, after previously serving terms as the Governing Board’s vice chair and treasurer. “Watson is a dedicated worker for the region and the state,”… Read more

Governing Board Treasurer Albert G. Joerger and his family stop at the District booth during the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast Fall Family Festival. More than 1,000 visitors enjoyed old-fashioned games, live music, nature-based art projects and woodcrafts at the annual event, held at Bay Preserve at Osprey, a 4.3-acre nature preserve on Little Sarasota Bay protected by the foundation. District staff taught young people about water conservation and the water… Read more

QR Codes Added for Most Up-to-Date Property DetailsThe Southwest Florida Water Management District published its new, free recreational guide highlighting nearly 70 properties. With its new sleeker design, users can scan QR codes to discover specific up-to-date details about each property.There are thousands of acres of recreational lands throughout the District and access to most of them is free to visitors. The new recreation guides also allow users to take notes… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during September on the Upper Myakka River Watershed in Manatee County.Upper Myakka River Watershed is located in Myakka City. Approximately 134 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.According to Land Management Supervisor Will VanGelder, burns are conducted to… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August on the District's "Lake Panasoffkee property":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/lakepanasoffkee.html in Sumter County.Lake Panasoffkee is located in west of Interstate 75 in Wildwood. Approximately 150 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August on the District's "Weekiwachee Preserve":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/weekiwachee.html in Hernando County.Weekiwachee Preserve is located one mile west of Spring Hill. Approximately 200 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.According… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July, August and September on the District's Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County.Weekiwachee Preserve is located one mile west of Spring Hill. Approximately 400 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.According to Land Management Supervisor Will VanGelder,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the Upper Myakka River Watershed in Manatee County.Upper Myakka River Watershed is located in Myakka City. Approximately 134 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.According to Land Management Supervisor Will VanGelder, burns are conducted to mimic… Read more