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In preparation for Hurricane Dennis, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is removing a large tree and several smaller trees that are blocking the Peace Creek Canal in Bartow. The trees recently fell into the creek because the area is so saturated.The District has budgeted $10,000 to complete the work today. Hess Construction Company is the contractor removing the debris. The company is one of the contractors the District used to remove hurricane-related debris…

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 March through September 2018 at Halpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County. Halpata Tastanaki Preserve is located two miles east of Dunnellon and seven miles northeast of the City of…

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 October through January 2018 on the Gilley Creek and Flatford Swamp properties in Manatee County. The Gilley Creek property is located between State Road 62 and State Road 64 and…

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 March on the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA) in Hillsborough County. The LHFDA…

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 March 18-20.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 of a…

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 Prairie/Shell Creek in Charlotte County. Prairie/Shell Creek is located on the west…

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 Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA) in Hillsborough County. The…

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 April through June on Starkey Wilderness Preserve and Cypress Creek Preserve.Starkey Wilderness Preserve is located east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway, north of State Road 54 and south of State Road…

The Rock Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project was recognized last week by the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission for excellence in planning, design and execution.The District, along with Hillsborough County and Scheda Ecological Associates, Inc., won an Award of Outstanding Contribution to the Community,…

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 Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County. Starkey Wilderness Preserve is located east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway, north of State Road 54…

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 June through September at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, which includes the Green Swamp East Tract in Polk, Sumter and Lake counties; the Hampton Tract in Polk County; and the Green Swamp West…

 Clockwise from top left: Chair Todd Pressman; Vice Chair Ronald E. Oakley; Secretary Hugh M. Gramling; Treasurer Sallie Parks. Two Governing Board members are moving into new leadership roles this year, while two others have been given their first opportunity to serve as officers. Todd Pressman was unanimously elected by his peers in May to serve as the District’s Governing Board chair. Pressman served as the Board secretary and vice chair before being…

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 Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County. Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2…

They tackled topics that ranged from soils and forestry to aquatics and wildlife. More than 300 students from four counties recently participated in the 2014 Nature Coast Envirothon at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. The competition is a problem-solving, natural resources education program for high school students allowing them to use critical-thinking skills to solve problems or conduct hands-on investigations about current environmental issues.  This is…

This April the District will span the Peace River watershed in an effort to create watershed awareness, showcase the commitment to protecting the watershed and foster proper stewardship of the watershed. A traveling canoe paddle will be used to tie all of the events together. A week of “Spanning the Watershed” events will kickoff April 14 in Bartow at the Polk County Water, Wings & Wild Things event. This will be the first time visitors will see the canoe paddle…

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 on the Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County. Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located 2…

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 Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and Myakka River - Schewe Tract in Sarasota County…

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 at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, which includes the Green Swamp East Tract in Polk, Sumter and Lake counties; the Hampton Tract in Polk County; and the Green Swamp West…

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 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 October through December at Myakka River - Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and Myakka River - Schewe Tract in…