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The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is hosting career fairs to recruit people seeking a rewarding career protecting the region’s water resources. The career fairs are open to the public and attendees are encouraged to bring current resumes. The District is a government agency that employs a diverse workforce from across a wide variety of disciplines, including administrative, business and finance, trades work, mechanical, heavy equipment operation,…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) has closed on the purchase of Boat Spring, which is part of the headwaters of Hammock Creek spring system, located in the historic community of Aripeka, on the Gulf of Mexico at the Hernando and Pasco County line. The Hammock Creek spring system includes Boat, Magnolia, Aripeka 1 and 2 springs which all flow into Hammock Creek that connects with the Gulf of Mexico. The acquisition…

This year District volunteers will take part in the 14th Annual National Public Lands Day, a yearly opportunity for Americans to improve and enhance the public lands they enjoy. The event, which is Saturday, Sept. 29, is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort. District staff and volunteers will be conducting a beach cleanup at the District’s Piney Point Tract, which is located in southern Hillsborough County. For more information and to learn how you can…

The District purchased Boat Spring located near the Gulf of Mexico at the Hernando and Pasco County line. The purchase is part of the District’s ongoing effort to protect water resources. The spring is part of the Hammock Creek spring system, a second-magnitude system. It includes Boat, Magnolia, and Aripeka 1 and 2 springs, which all flow into Hammock Creek that connects with the Gulf of Mexico. The property also includes the spring run from Magnolia Spring. The District…

The Bartow Service Office is one of the three District offices to earn a Florida Yard certification for using Florida-friendly landscaping. Since Gov. Charlie Crist announced his green initiative in 2007, the District has taken significant steps toward reducing its carbon footprint. Through the Environmental Stewardship Initiative, the District examines its entire operation for opportunities to achieve greater efficiencies and further reduce its carbon…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Citrus County. Residents living in the North Citrus Withlacoochee River watershed are invited to attend an open house June 29 at 4 p.m. at the Coastal Region Library, located at 8619 W. Crystal Street in Crystal River. District representatives will present preliminary data for flood prone areas, explain the basis behind the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during August on the District's Edward W. Chance Reserve – Coker Prairie and Gilley Creek Tracts in Manatee County.Edward W. Chance Reserve – Coker Prairie and Gilley Creek Tracts are located in Myakka City and Parrish respectively. Approximately 1,150 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during July on the District's Edward W. Chance Reserve – Coker Prairie and Gilley Creek Tracts in Manatee County.Edward W. Chance Reserve – Coker Prairie and Gilley Creek Tracts are located in Myakka City and Parrish respectively. Approximately 1,042 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands…

In recognition of July being designated by the Irrigation Association as “Smart Irrigation Month,” the Southwest Florida Water Management District has a few simple tips to help your irrigation system operate effectively and efficiently. Irrigation systems are exposed to the elements, lawn mowers and more so they should be inspected and adjusted on a regular basis. Some repairs may require hiring a certified irrigation professional.Inspecting your irrigation…

Inverness Mayor Ron Plaisted will proclaim this Saturday, Oct. 23 as "Inverness Get Outside! Day," kicking off the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Get Outside!" event at "Potts Preserve(Potts Preserve)":/recreation/areas/potts.html.Citrus, Marion and Sumter county residents are invited to attend the *free event* from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include *guided nature hikes*, a *native animal presentation*,…

With the growing popularity of home improvement shows, the District turned to a new way to promote Florida-friendly landscaping. The District participated in a radio promotion called “Curb Appeal.” The contest awarded one homeowner with home and landscaping improvements, which included up to $5,000 in new Stanek windows and a front yard makeover of up to a $10,000 value using Florida-friendly plants and landscaping techniques. The contest was a cooperative effort…

A site in Charlotte County named after Florida’s best-known reptile is undergoing a transformation. The District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), is presently undertaking a multiphase ecosystem and hydrologic restoration project in the Alligator Creek Addition of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. The 1,600-acre Alligator Creek Addition is owned by the FDEP…

This July, 70 kids from the Boys &Girls Club of Hernando County climbed on board buses to spend half a day at Weekiwachee Preserve as part of a special field trip. The children ranged in age from 5 to 13. The field trip proposal began when Will Miller, District land use and protection manager, approached Yvonne Krajcovic, executive director from the Boys &Girls Club, about the idea. “I contacted several youth organizations, including the Boys &Girls…

David Moore, executive director, reads the plaque honoring John Parker as his family looks on. A canoe launch at the Springs Coast Environmental Education Center on the Weeki Wachee River bears the name and memory of John Parker, a District employee who died in a car accident last spring. “Generations of school children will learn about John Parker’s life as they visit here and learn to become good stewards of the environment,” said Judy…

Visitors can experience Florida’s freshwater springs through a variety of outdoor activities, musical entertainment and guest speakers during the 8th Annual Marion County Springs Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Silver River State Park.Experts will speak about Florida’s springs and springs protection, as well as Marion County’s irrigation and fertilizer ordinances and Florida-friendly landscaping.In addition to the guest speakers,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during June, July and August 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 managed by the…

After decades of being impacted by trash and debris, Clam Bayou’s water quality and wildlife habitats will soon be restored. The largest and final phase of the Clam Bayou Habitat Restoration and Stormwater Treatment Project is currently under way, thanks to a cooperative effort between the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program and the cities of St. Petersburg and Gulfport. Clam Bayou is a 170-acre estuary that makes up part of Boca Ciega…

Learn more about the District’s history and mission in a new exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center. The museum recently opened the exhibit “A History of Conservation: A Bird’s Eye View.” The History Center and Audubon Florida’s Coastal Islands Sanctuaries have teamed up for the exhibit highlighting birdlife in Florida and the conservation movement in the Tampa Bay area. Artifacts featured in the new exhibit trace both humankind’s reverence for and decimation of…

With spring break season approaching, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, wants to remind Weeki Wachee River visitors about the recreational best 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 river have…