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A Southwest Florida Water Management District scientist has received a prestigious honor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).Brandt Henningsen, District senior environmental scientist, was presented with the Excellence in Restoration Award by NOAA’s Restoration Center at the Pinellas County Environmental Fund’s (PCEF) conservation partners meeting in May.The award was created by NOAA to publicly recognize it’s partners who have…

Environmental enthusiasts of all ages are invited to come out and enjoy a free community fair being held at the Hillsborough River State Park, May 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.The 9th Annual “A River Runs Through It” community fair features watershed education workshops, watershed educational bingo, children’s activities and educational displays. Visitors can also canoe, fish or take a nature hike.The workshops include the award-winning Frog Listening Network,…

The Hillsborough River will get some tender loving care from the Lowry Park Zoo’s Boy Scouts of America Zoo Troop 47 and employees from JPMorgan Chase.The zoo youth groups received a $2,069 grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2006 Community Education Grant Program to help fund their River Clean-Up project on April 22. The grant funding comes from the District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board, which includes portions of Hillsborough…

With the citrus industry facing challenges due to hurricanes, greening and the lowest annual production since World War II, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is working to improve services and business processes for citrus industry customers. That’s why District Executive Director Brian Armstrong formed the Citrus Task Force, an initiative to solicit feedback from citrus industry customers on their interactions with the District’s…

Hernando County residents interested in learning about how to create beautiful landscapes, conserve water and protect the environment can take advantage of a unique educational opportunity. A “Florida-Friendly Landscaping Grow Smart” workshop will be conducted in Hernando County at the SNPJ Lodge on March 2. The SNPJ Lodge is located at 13383 County Line Road in Brooksville.The half-day program, open to all Hernando County residents, starts at 8:30 a.m. The…

Spring is the time when many people start thinking about gardening. This spring, Citrus County residents have the opportunity to learn about Florida-friendly landscaping and water-conserving irrigation practices. A “Florida-Friendly Landscaping 101” workshop will be conducted in Lecanto at the Citrus County Canning Center on April 30, 8 a.m to 2 p.m. The workshop will focus on these topics:Right plant, right placeEfficient irrigation and water useFertilizing…

With spring break season approaching, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), along with other local and state partners, wants to remind Chassahowitzka River visitors about the recreational best practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts. Recreational activities can have a direct impact on the health of the river. For example, visitors leaving kayaks while on the river have trampled vegetation and eroded riverbanks. Also…

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.  An 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 trampled…

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 11 in accordance with Governor Rick Scott's direction to close state offices for Hurricane Irma. The District will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Irma to determine if future closings are necessary. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District's website at…

Clay Black, District senior professional engineer, prepares students for the estuary test. For this high school field trip, students were asked to define anoxic, cite the life cycle of an oyster and know the salinity of brackish water. And that was just for starters. Those were a few of the topics covered when more than 270 high school students and teachers from Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sumter counties swarmed the Anclote River Park in…

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be open Thursday, July 8, as the District returns to normal operations after Tropical Storm Elsa. The District will lower the activation level of its Emergency Operations Center to a Level 3 at 8 a.m. Thursday morning. Level 3 activation is a general state of monitoring during the hurricane season. All District-managed campgrounds and properties to include trails and day use areas throughout…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board recognized Earnie Olsen of Citrus County as one of this year’s springs community partners at its May Governing Board meeting. Olsen is the supervisor of the Marine Science Station in Crystal River and has taught at the center since 2008. Olsen and his staff lead daily field trips, taking Citrus County students by…

Funds Available Individuals and groups concerned about water-related issues in their communities can apply for a Southwest Florida Water Management District community education grant. Grant recipients can receive up to $5,000 funding for projects involving water-related issues. The projects are to take place between March 15 and June 30, 2004. Grant applications are due Oct. 17, 2003. To receive an application package, call 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4756 or visit the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is gathering input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in Citrus county. 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 because of natural and physical changes caused by land use, development and…

Hillsborough and Pinellas County high schools participated in the 2017 Tampa Bay Regional Envirothon. This annual environmental education program allows students to use critical thinking skills to investigate and solve environmental issues in the field through hands-on activities.  The District has sponsored the program since it began in 1997 by providing funding to offset the cost of transporting students to the competition. Further support is given by supplying…

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials have postponed its Sept. 12 Governing Board tentative budget hearing due to emergency conditions facing the District from Hurricane Irma. The public hearing will be rescheduled at a later date. Information concerning District-related meeting cancellations and office closures will also be provided to the media and made available on the District's website at…

All Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) offices will be closed on Friday, Sept. 8 in accordance with Governor Rick Scott's direction to close state offices in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The District will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Irma throughout the weekend to determine if future closings are necessary. Information regarding District-related meeting cancellations will be provided to the media and made available on the District's…

Due to the deteriorating weather conditions of Tropical Storm Hermine, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is cancelling tomorrow's public meeting regarding flood prone areas in Sumter County. The meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday, September 22 beginning at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Bushnell Community Center, located at 407 E. Belt Avenue in Bushnell. The purpose of the meeting is to gather information to improve…

Lasting Impression Through Learning A unique environmental education program is giving Dunnellon students the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the community. The students are participating in the Legacy Program, a Southwest Florida Water Management District-funded project that receives matching grant funds from Florida Learn and Serve. The Legacy Program is a hands-on learning experience that allows seventh- and eighth-grade students the opportunity to…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday Oct. 22 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live…