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More than 90 tons of debris removed from area sinkholesThe Southwest Florida Water Management District has completed a three-year project to improve water quality in the District’s springs by removing debris from sinkholes and areas with high aquifer permeability.Over the three-year period, 90.77 tons of debris were removed from 18 sinkholes and other karst features in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Some of the items removed from the sinkholes included shopping…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Sumter County. Residents living in the Little Jones Creek/Wildwood watershed are invited to attend an open house Thursday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m. The meeting will take place at Wildwood Community Center, located at 6500 Powell Road in Wildwood. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the…

District Kudos The District was recently recognized nationally for combining function with environmentally friendly building and landscaping practices at its Sarasota Service Office. The National Commercial Builders Council of the National Association of Home Builders awarded the District the Chairman’s Award for excellence in commercial construction. “This is a very prestigious national award,” said project manager Nick Spirakis. General Services Director Lloyd…

The Florida Yard Fandango is returning to the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) this spring. The event is being held March 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the second year the District has been involved with the Fandango. The goal of this event is to promote Florida-friendly landscaping and lawn maintenance because it is beautiful and saves water, time and energy. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from 15 workshops, including core classes on the…

A homeless osprey may soon be living “the high life,” thanks to an observant District employee and Tampa Electric. William Copeland, a senior environmental scientist in the Tampa Regulation Department, noticed an osprey trying to build a nest on top of an active power pole that serves the facilities building at the District’s Tampa Service Office. “I originally asked Brant Henningsen with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management Program where I could…

Who: Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council members, Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board members and staffWhat: The Council and the District will mark the completion of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration project.When: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 10 a.m.Where: Coleman LandingWhy: The $28.3 million project was completed in November 2008. The 10-year project was designed to restore Lake Panasoffkee’s historic fish bedding areas, restore the historic lake…

Who:Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program, Tampa Bay Watch, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and approximately 350 volunteersWhat:Volunteers will participate in planting up to 30,000 marsh grass on approximately 34 acres of the Terra Ceia Ecosystem Restoration Project, setting a new record for Tampa Bay for the most…

Ekker Preserve, top, before restoration. At bottom, the restoration project after completion of the final grading. A tropical fish nursery that was dominated by nonnative plants and mosquitoes was recently converted into a maturing 23-acre wetland habitat for many native species. The wetland habitat is part of the 85-acre Ekker Preserve in Gibsonton. The District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management Program recently completed construction of the…

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,…

Governor Charlie Crist recently reappointed Mitchell Hammer to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board.Hammer is a senior appraiser for the Internal Revenue Service who lives in New Port Richey. He was first appointed to the Board in June 2005. His current term ends March 1, 2011.The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin area includes Pinellas County and the southern portion of Pasco County.The District has seven regional Basin Boards that…

Tom Prickett and the District staff who participated in his workshop in 1980. Prickett is in the center, wearing a tie. District software engineer Herb Bryant is pictured in the back row, fifth from the left. A giant in the field of groundwater studies who was influential in the District’s early groundwater modeling efforts passed away this September. Thomas Prickett, 71, of Urbana, Illinois, died Sept. 13 in Indianapolis. Prickett is known for being the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, launched the Weeki Wachee River Education Campaign to inform river visitors about the recreational best management practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts. A recent ecologically based study found direct links between recreational use on the river and environmental damage. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during November and December on the Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The Jack Creek property is located in the Leisure Lakes area, approximately one mile west of US 27, three miles south of SR 66 and six miles northwest of Lake Placid. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) land management staff have completed evaluations of all District-managed campgrounds and properties after Hurricane Helene and all trails and day use areas and the majority of campgrounds throughout its 16-county region are now open to the public. However, several campgrounds will remain closed until further notice, including Hampton Tract in Polk County, McNeil primitive campground in Pasco County and the Hooty…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Alston Tract(Upper Hillsborough Preserve Alston Tract)":/recreation/areas/uh-alston_tract.html, which is part of the "Upper Hillsborough Preserve(Upper Hillsborough Preserve)":/recreation/areas/upper_hillsborough_preserve.html, will be temporarily closed to the public for hog hunts Jan. 11–13.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All of the permits for these hunts have been sold.The "…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of January through March on the Prairie-Shell Creek property in Charlotte County.The site is west of U.S. Hwy. 17 and east of the Peace River, approximately eight miles northeast of Punta Gorda. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, controlled burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the remaining days in November and December on the Prairie-Shell Creek property in Charlotte County.The site is west of U.S. Hwy. 17 and east of the Peace River, approximately eight miles northeast of Punta Gorda. Approximately 100 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, controlled burns are a part of routine maintenance of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during September and October on the District’s Jack Creek property in Highlands County.The property, which is in the Leisure Lakes area, is approximately one mile west of U.S. Hwy. 27, three miles south of S.R. 66 and six miles northwest of Lake Placid. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District.…

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30, due to potential impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District’s website at…