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Clockwise from top: Water Quality Monitoring Program employees, George DeGroot and David Sua receive their suggestion awards from their managers. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the District’s Employee Suggestion Program, which began with a goal of awarding employees who save taxpayer dollars and increase efficiency. To date, more than $1.8 million of taxpayer money has been saved by employee suggestions. “This is truly a win-win situation for…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring the tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico, and the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains at its lowest activation, Level 3 – monitoring only. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities during an emergency weather event. The District is currently operating water control…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during September on the District's "Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/greenswamp.html.Approximately 500 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August on the District's "Cypress Creek Preserve":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/cypresscreek.html in Pasco County.Cypress Creek Preserve is located in Central Pasco. Approximately 300 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August on the District's "Annutteliga Hammock":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/annuteligahammock.html in Hernando County.Annutteliga Hammock is located in the Royal Highlands Area. 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.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August on the District's "Conner Preserve":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/conner.html.Conner Preserve is located four miles north of Land O' Lakes. Approximately 500 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in Sebring. Approximately 422 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 natural fire cycles…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the District's Cypress Creek Preserve in Pasco County.Cypress Creek Preserve is located in Central Pasco. Approximately 300 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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the District's Conner Preserve.Conner Preserve is located four miles north of Land O' Lakes. Approximately 500 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 natural fire…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the District's Chito Branch Reserve in Hillsborough County.Chito Branch Reserve is located in Lithia. Approximately 300 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 natural…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday recognized Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice for his dedication to public service as an outgoing member of the Governing Board and the Withlacoochee River Basin Board.Rice was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush in March 2003. He served as the Governing Board chair from June 2006 until May 2007. Before serving as chair Rice was also the Board’s vice chair and treasurer. As a Governing Board member…

Governor Charlie Crist recently appointed Devon Higginbotham to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board.Higginbotham was appointed to succeed Hung T. Mai. She is from Plant City and is a residential contractor with Archive Properties. Her term ends March 1, 2010. Higginbotham was appointed to the District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board in 2006, but resigned her seat to serve on the Hillsborough River Basin Board.…

Governor Charlie Crist recently appointed one and reappointed another member to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board.Ken Harrison of Arcadia was reappointed. He is a rancher. His term ends March 1, 2010.Pat Crisman of Bartow was appointed to succeed Ann Dunlap. She is a State Farm Insurance Agent. Her term ends March 1, 2010.The Peace River Basin Board area includes DeSoto and Hardee counties as…

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful staff and volunteersWhat:A volunteer river cleanup is being coordinated at Hillsborough River State Park. Volunteers will be provided with canoes, gloves, garbage bags and trash pickers to collect trash along the river. If there are enough participants, volunteers will also collect trash along the park’s trails and parking areas.The river cleanup is part of “Hillsborough…

Nestled just north of the Inverness city limits in Citrus County is 8,500 acres of pristine Florida wilderness with more than 30 miles of trails and four camping areas where you can hike, camp, bike, boat, fish — even bring your horses. Freshly restored to its historic natural flow patterns, Potts Preserve is bordered by the Hernando pool of the Tsala Apopka Lake system to the west and the Withlacoochee River to the east. Purchased by the District to protect the area’…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will temporarily close the Flying Eagle Dead River Flats airboat slide due to required maintenance. The airboat slide is located on the Flying Eagle berm between the Withlacoochee River and Flying Eagle Marsh in eastern Citrus County.Maintenance activities will start April 14 and are scheduled to be completed by April 25. Attempts to use the slide in its current condition could damage airboats.The District operates…

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…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday adopted its fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) millage rates for the General Fund and the seven Basin Boards.The Governing Board adopted a FY2010 millage rate of 0.3866 mill for the District’s General Fund, which is the same as the current fiscal year. FY2010 will run from Oct. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010.The total FY2010 budget for the District is $298.9 million, 20.6 percent lower than the adopted…