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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,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host career and student internship fairs to share information about the many career fields and employment opportunities at the District.The fairs will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the District’s Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa and Aug. 30 at the District’s Brooksville Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.The District offers a wide variety of…

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 Tract in Pasco…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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 Annutteliga Hammock and Weekiwachee Preserve.Annutteliga Hammock is located east of U.S. Highway 19, north of Centralia Road and south of the county line. Approximately 200 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. The Weekiwachee…

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 and Chito Branch Reserve.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 500…

More than 500 volunteers who spend thousands of hours a year helping the Southwest Florida Water Management District maintain and improve public lands, as well as restore Tampa Bay, were honored this April during the District’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day. The third annual celebration was held at the District’s Lake Panasoffkee property and featured an awards presentation, exhibits, live music, a picnic lunch and a nature hike. During the past year,…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hampton Tract, which is part of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, will be reserved Nov. 17-19 to allow disabled hunters the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The property will be closed to the public during this time.The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract’s Polk County entrance is at the intersection of Rockridge Road and Deen Still Road.The hunt is a joint effort between the District and the…

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

Homeowners in South Venice have long touted water quality as a top neighborhood issue, and they recently celebrated a project that will create additional habitat and help improve water quality in their local waterways.  Residents and other community leaders celebrated the South Venice Beach Waterway Restoration Project, a culmination of the work to restore about 7,500 linear feet of the Siesta and Briarwood waterway banks in South Venice Beach. By creating a…

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…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has launched the new WaterMatters.org website featuring a new recreation reservation system.  The new design is cleaner and more organized, while offering the following features:

• Mobile Friendly: The new site provides a simple design that is compatible with tablets and phones, which make up…

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…