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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 at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, which includes, the Green Swamp East Tract in Polk,… Read more

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 at Annutteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annutteliga Hammock is… Read more

The District’s Governing Board voted in a new slate of officers Tuesday for the 2019-2020 term. Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public’s water needs… Read more

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 last spring. That's why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns in April and May on the Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley Creek Tract (Gilley Creek) and Flatford Swamp Preserve in Manatee County. The Gilley Creek property is located between State… Read more

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 Edward W. Chance Reserve - Gilley… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a management agreement that will allow the Sumter County Parks and Recreation Department to develop a 70-acre park within the District’s Lake Panasoffkee project area.The agreement will allow the county to construct and maintain a park that will primarily be used for living history events and displays like a Native American village and pioneer settlement structures. There will… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday agreed to issue a non-exclusive license agreement to the Citrus County Airboat Alliance to Potts Preserve.The agreement will replace a temporary permit and allow the airboat group to continue to use and maintain a remote picnic and camping area located in the northwest portion of the preserve on the North Loop Road for a five-year term with the option to renew the agreement for two additional… Read more

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 early spring. That's why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns November through March 2018 at Annuteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annuteliga Hammock is located east of U.S. Highway 19, north of Centralia Road and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Jan. 30 – Feb. 1.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 30 permits for these hunts have been sold.The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14301 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland.This activity is one… Read more

Governor Jeb Bush recently appointed several members to seven of the eight Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Some of the Basin Board members are reappointments and some of them are newly appointed.Alafia River Basin Board:*Cheryl Johnson of Brandon was reappointed. She is a real estate associate with Tampa Electric Company. Her term began March 29 and ends March 1, 2009.*Jean C. Tort of Ruskin was reappointed to the Alafia… Read more

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 at Annuteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annuteliga Hammock… Read more

High school students from Pasco, Hernando and Sumter counties displayed their knowledge for the 2017 Nature Coast Envirothon. The competition is a problem-solving, natural resources education program which tests high school students on their surrounding environment.  Frank Gargano, Katie Carswell, Krista McKean, Gabrielle Kiliman, Kim Dymond, Carolyn Pina and David Sauskojus represented the District this year at Fort Cooper State Park. The Regulation staff… Read more

From top: (1) The restoration site prior to the cleanup. (2) Raymond Chen and other volunteers show off the coins he found. (3) Using a track hoe, Jason Wadsworth of J. D. Sunny Isle removes exotics. (4) Lisa Henningsen, District staff environmental scientist, and Bill Lewelling, District hydrologist, stand near a dumpster of trash collected during the cleanup. Eighty-five people answered the call for volunteers to help remove mountains of tires, television… Read more

From left: Frederick J. Buckman, Pasco County Parks and Recreation director; Jay B. Starkey, Jr.; Allen Altman, Pasco County School Board chair; Todd Pressman, District Governing Board member; and Lou Kavouras, deputy executive director for District Outreach, Planning, Board Services & Ombudsman, mark the opening of the Starkey Environmental Education Center exhibits with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Representatives from the Pasco County School Board, Pasco… Read more

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 February and March at Annuteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annuteliga Hammock is located east of U.S. Highway 19, north of Centralia Road and south of the county… Read more

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 January through March at Annutteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annutteliga Hammock is… Read more

The "Land Management Section of the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/documents/plans/landusemgmt/ (District) will be conducting prescribed burns from November through March on the Starkey, Conner and Cypress Creek Preserves in Pasco County. These properties are located in central and west Pasco County near Land O' Lakes and New Port Richey. Approximately 1,200 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. The District will also… Read more

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will dedicate Phase 1 of the Terra Ceia Ecosystem Restoration Project on Monday, May 12th at 10:30 a.m. in Terra Ceia. Invited speakers include representatives from the District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Manatee County government. In addition to the program speakers, representatives from the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, Inc. in Anna… Read more

The Land Management Section of the "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during the months of April, May and June on both the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and neighboring Schewe Tract. Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, which is jointly owned and managed by the District and Sarasota County, is located between Interstate 75 and US Highway 41. The Schewe Tract, which is located north and south of… Read more

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 October through December at Annutteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County. Annutteliga… Read more