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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board recently honored Marilyn Samaha, as the first Land Resources volunteer of the year.Samaha was recognized for the countless hours she spent developing a recreational partnership between the District, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bypass Canal Rowing Council (TBCRC), which she created and serves as president.The development of the TBCRC to coordinate with the District and the county has resulted in a… Read more

The Sierra Club’s Florida Chapter presented the Osprey Award to Fritz Musselmann, land resources director for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, today at the District’s Governing Board meeting.The Osprey Award recognizes extraordinary efforts to promote or effect changes in policy or practice to protect or preserve Florida’s environment and is given annually to a government employee.Musselmann was recognized for his role in the acquisition of… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Tuesday approved an agreement with the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to manage and maintain a youth center on the District’s Flying Eagle Preserve in Citrus County.The District selected the BSA after reviewing proposals from several organizations. The 10-year no-cost lease agreement has a 10-year renewal option.The youth center is a 580-acre parcel that features a 2,100-square foot administration… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will hold a Final Evaluation Committee Meeting on Tuesday, October 22, at 11:00 a.m. (local time) to evaluate responses to ITN 24-4426 Broker Services for Health, Property and Casualty, and Worker’s Compensation. 

District staff and vendors walk the bridge at the Deep Creek property. Get inside the Deep Creek Preserve and you’ll feel far from civilization without driving too far from home. The preserve is a short drive from Port Charlotte, but with 2,000 acres of land and nine miles of unpaved multiuse trails, explorers on foot or on horseback can lose themselves… Read more

Gardeners will have the opportunity to learn some new gardening techniques at a Florida-Friendly Native Plant Landscaping Workshop being held this Saturday, Feb. 11 at South Florida Community College (SFCC), Hardee Campus.The free workshop is a cooperative effort among the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP), SFCC, and WGCU Public Media.Workshop participants will learn how to solve… Read more

Public participation will be provided through online viewing or conference call options The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. remotely. Following the Governor’s directions to reduce public gatherings and practice social distancing… Read more

Alafia River Basin Board Member Cheryl Johnson was also recognized as being one of Hillsborough Community College’s 40 remarkable alumni. “When I attended HCC, nearly 25 years ago, I would have never dreamed of being honored as an outstanding alumna,” said Johnson. Johnson, a property manager for the Tampa Electric Company (TECO), has been a member of the Alafia River Basin Board since April 2004. She was reappointed March 29, 2006, and her term ends March 1, 2009.… Read more

Ken Harrison, Carlton family friend and member of the Peace River Basin Board, led guests on a tour to highlight the property’s diverse habitats. More than 12,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands in Sarasota County that have been part of a family ranch since 1947 will remain natural, thanks to an agreement among the family, the District and Sarasota County. In December 2007, the District and Sarasota County purchased a conservation easement over 7,… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District was recently recognized by the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)/Wheelin’ Sportsmen for its commitment to providing disabled outdoor enthusiasts opportunities to enjoy the wilderness.The NWTF’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen, which facilitates outdoor events for the disabled, honored the District during the organization’s 30th Annual Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee and later at a chapter… Read more

An equestrian volunteer group and two off-road bike volunteers who work with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program will receive the national President’s Call to Service Award for contributing more than 4,000 hours of service.The President’s Call to Service Award is presented through the “Take Pride in Florida/Take Pride in America” program. This award is the highest honor given through the program.… Read more

Residents enjoy the park’s new boardwalk. Judy Whitehead, Governing Board member, tells how she has enjoyed going to the park all her life. The District and Hernando County celebrated the completion of the expansion and renovation of Bayport Park with a grand reopening ceremony in May. Park visitors are now able to enjoy additional parking, an upgraded boat ramp, shelters, pavilion, a scenic boardwalk along the coastline, nature trails and new… Read more

Former Governing Board Member Bill Wilcox, left, and current Chair Ron Oakley visit Telegraph Swamp. District staff and Governing Board Chair Ron Oakley recently visited Babcock Ranch Preserve in Charlotte and Lee counties to look at how the preserve’s staff balanced land preservation and management issues with public access needs. The 73,000-acre preserve was purchased by the state of Florida and Lee County in 2006 to protect water resources, natural… Read more

In honor of Springs Protection Awareness Month, Madison Trowbridge shares what it’s like to be a springs scientist at the District, the important work she does and why she loves it. When I was a kid, I decided to be a scientist after our teacher read us a story about the famous marine biologist, Sylvia Earle. I pictured myself on a research vessel in the middle of the ocean, writing down measurements on a notepad. Many years later, I did become a… Read more

Above: “Before” and “after” photos show Florida-friendly landscaping installed. Right: Angela Maraj, District regional builder/developer landscape education specialist, met with Stephen Bissonnette (left), Alafia River Basin Board secretary, and Scott Coulombe (right), Polk County Builders Association executive director, at a recent builder/developer workshop in Polk County. A change is taking place in the Florida homebuilding industry. As public and industry… Read more

Dozens of state and community leaders joined the District last week in kicking off the Rock Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project. The project, located just north of the Manatee County line in Ruskin, will feature more than 1,000 acres of restored  uplands and wetlands when completed in about two years. Executive Director Robert Beltran acknowledged the project was possible thanks to community partners like Hillsborough County.  “Over the years,… Read more

Governing and Basin Board members recently toured project sites in four of the District’s 16 counties. Board members visited projects in Myakka City, the Lake Wales Ridge area, Homosassa’s Chassahowitzka Spring and the Edward Medard Reservoir in Plant City. Myakka River Watershed The first tour offered Board members an opportunity to visit a Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) project and travel through a variety of public lands in the… Read more

Brian Townsend, District senior heavy equipment operator (left), and Stephanie Green, senior land management specialist, supported the Florida Division of Forestry at the Santa Fe fire. With less than 24 hours notice, the District was called upon by the Florida Division of Forestry (FDOF) to send staff and equipment to help fight two wildfires outside the District’s 16-county region. District Land Manager Kevin Love received the call from the FDOF on the… Read more

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled hunters and volunteer guidesWhat:The District has partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this quail hunt, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors.When:Saturday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m.Where:The hunt will be… Read more

Four volunteers and an equestrian group who work with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program were presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national honor that recognizes volunteer dedication and signifies that each volunteer has served the community and country with distinction.The volunteers received their awards Tuesday at the District’s January Governing Board meeting in Brooksville.Elizabeth… Read more