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About 50 volunteers recently came out to Conner Preserve in Pasco County to plant 2,000 longleaf pine seedlings over 5 acres of restored sandhill.  Volunteers were members of Lutz Boy Scout Troop 12, the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club and Lutz/Land O’ Lakes Lions Club. The Southwest Florida Water Management District provided the seedlings for the project and Senior Land Management Specialist Allen Milligan demonstrated how to properly plant longleaf pine…

The "Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/documents/plans/landusemgmt/ (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of February, March and April on lands acquired by the District known as the Halpata Tastanaki Preserve property. The location of this tract of land is approximately four miles east of Dunnellon and seven miles north-northeast of Hernando. Close to 400 acres will be burned…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will hold a Final Evaluation Committee Meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (local time) to evaluate responses to RFP 25-4847 Digital Accessibility Solution.

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through December on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County. Deep Creek Preserve is located in…

Susanna Martinez Tarokh has joined the Southwest Florida Water Management District as public information officer. Martinez Tarokh will serve as the District's principal representative for the news media and related public stakeholders in the 16-county coverage area, spanning as far north as Levy and Marion counties and south to Charlotte County. She replaces Robyn Felix who is now the District's Communications manager.Before joining the District, Martinez Tarokh spent seven…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Chito Branch Reserve in Hillsborough County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Feb. 25-27.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 10 permits for these hunts have been sold.Chito Branch Reserve is located at 11254 Browning Road in Lithia.This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns January through March on the Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County. Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2 miles east of Dunnellon and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando and is…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns June through September on Prairie/Shell Creek in Charlotte County. Prairie/Shell Creek is located on the…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns June through September on the Halpata Tastanaki Preserve in…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pasco County are working together to gather input needed to improve identification of flooding risks in the county.The information will be used to update area floodplain information and develop preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency (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…

The public is invited to share ideas concerning potential water resources restoration projects at the upcoming Citrus County Task Force meeting.The meeting is being held Monday, Sept. 15, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 West Sovereign Path, Room 166Lecanto.During the meeting the task force will be considering potential restoration projects to enhance fish and wildlife habitats in Citrus County. Examples of restoration projects may include, but are…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through September on Weekiwachee Preserve.The Weekiwachee Preserve is located west of U.S. Highway 19 between Spring Hill and Hernando Beach. Approximately 500 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through September on the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve.The Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. Highway 301 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near Thonotosassa. Approximately 750 acres will be burned in…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns now through September at the Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve in Sarasota County.Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve is located west of North Port, east of the Myakka River, and south of Interstate 75. Approximately 500 acres will be burned…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, which includes Green Swamp East Tract in Polk, Sumter and Lake counties, the Hampton Tract in Polk County and Green Swamp West Tract in Pasco County. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve is located north of U.S. Highway 98 along Highway 471 and Rock Ridge Road between Lakeland and Dade City. Approximately 10,751 acres…

Audubon of Florida honored a District employee this fall for his role in saving the land that makes Florida a special place to live, work, visit and explore. Henry Dean, Audubon board member and former executive director of the St. Johns River and South Florida water management districts, presented the Florida Audubon Special Places Award to Fritz Musselmann, land resources director, during Audubon’s Annual Assembly. “In the face of decades of explosive growth, he…

Albert G. Joerger took his oath of office to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board during the February Board meeting. Joerger was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a newly created seat. The Governing Board was previously made up of 11 seats. Last year the state Legislature added two new seats for a total of 13. Joerger’s term ends March 1, 2011. The Sarasota resident is the founder and president of the…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns April through June on the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA). The LHFDA is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. Highway 301 and Morris Bridge Road near…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September on the Prairie Shell Creek Tract in Charlotte County. Prairie Shell Creek is located at 3081…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns July through September on the Deep Creek Preserve in DeSoto County. Deep Creek Preserve is located at 10797 Peace…