Search Content
Displaying results 4621 - 4640 of 4920
Winning runners earn gator heads for running fast through the swamp. The race course wound through, not just near, the water. Right: Louis Rufo crosses the finish line for his team, Riot.
Some people like to camp on District land, some like to ride horses, some like to hike and some like to fish. Then there are those people who like to run 50 miles through river and swamp in the dead of winter.
More than 300 of those running-through-the-river types invaded the…
The Southwest Florida Water Management District will hold a Preliminary Evaluation Committee Meeting on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. (local time) to evaluate responses to ITN 25-4749 Group Vision Insurance and Supplemental Benefits. The committee members will discuss their review of the responses and may select a firm to award, select firms to be shortlisted for further evaluation, or reject all responses. The meeting will be held virtually through the link…
Public meetings scheduled this monthThe Southwest Florida Water Management District will begin monthly audible testing in October of three sirens installed near the Edward Medard Park reservoir in southeast Hillsborough County.The sirens were installed as an additional safety procedure for the unlikely event of an emergency that could result in the failure of the reservoir’s dam. The 700-acre reservoir is part of Edward Medard Park, a popular recreation area located…
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is joining forces with the Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance to celebrate the Hillsborough River and its watershed by declaring Nov. 15 through 22 as “Watershed Awareness Week.”The District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board is co-sponsoring Watershed Awareness Week in an effort to foster good watershed stewardship.The Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance is a public-private, non-profit organization that…
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is about to begin a three-year restoration project at J.B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve. The project will restore 951 acres of uplands, including degraded scrub and sand hill communities.Sand pine has taken over much of the area due to the lack of fire, which naturally maintains the quality of a habitat. In addition, decades of vegetative debris has built up, leaving the area at risk for uncontrollable wildfires.This…
Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)/Wheelin’ Sportsmen representatives, disabled hunters and volunteer guidesWhat:The District has partnered with the NWTF/Wheelin’ Sportsmen to organize this turkey hunt, which allows disabled men, women and young adults to experience the outdoors. Participants will only use shotguns during the hunt.When:Saturday, March 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Where:The hunt will be held on the District’…
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recently completed an evaluation of public hunting facilities on District lands that indicated a 64 percent increase in hunting opportunities.The District owns a total of 331,700 acres with almost half dedicated to public hunting programs. Of the 331,700 acres, there are 133,795 acres committed to agreements with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, totaling 10 sites within six counties.Wildlife…
The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently celebrated the contribution of hundreds of volunteers to the improvement of District lands with a Volunteer Appreciation Day.Approximately 300 volunteers are involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program. These volunteers play an important role in maintaining the District’s many recreational trails and campgrounds.“District volunteers have put in hours and hours of time helping develop…
Southwest Florida Water Management District land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District land this fall and winter to help reduce the wild hog population. Beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 8, prospective hunters can purchase permits for these hunts on the District's website at "HogHunts.WaterMatters.org":http://HogHunts.WaterMatters.org. Permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis through 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, or until they are sold out.…
Volunteer Contribution
Terry Yoder of the Citizen Support Organization, far right, receives an award from District Governing Board Chair Watson L. Haynes II, Governing Board member Janet D. Kovach, and Governing Board Vice Chair Heidi B. McCree.
We always feed our volunteers well. If anyone wants to sign up, call me!”
That’s one of the selling points Karen Michalak makes when she’s trying to recruit people to join the Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted…
Shinn Ditch Restoration Project Wins National Award
The North American Lake Management Society presented its 2010 Technical Merit Award to the District for work on the Shinn Ditch restoration project in the District’s Flying Eagle Preserve in Citrus County.
Shinn Ditch was originally intended to improve land for agricultural use by draining water from the property into the Withlacoochee River. The restoration project consisted of a series of blocks within the ditch,…
Left, The intricate designs of two freshly planted intertidal lagoon systems mimic Mother Nature, incorporating various estuarine habitats. The design includes high-marsh and transitional zones in anticipation of rising sea levels, which will allow wetland platforms to migrate up the slopes over time. Top right, a tidal lagoon starts to take shape in place of an Australian pine forest that previously occupied the site. Bottom right, volunteers work to install 34,000…
A new way to learn about Sarasota County’s watersheds will be unveiled during this year’s Watershed Awareness Week, Oct. 12-18.The Science and Environment Council of Sarasota County (SEC) has developed a Watershed Mobile Phone Audio Tour that can easily be accessed from any cell phone by calling 941-926-6813. The tour features 15 different watershed education messages, which coincide with locations people can visit.The Southwest Florida Water Management District…
Judith C. Judy Whitehead was unanimously elected Tuesday by her peers to serve as Governing Board chair of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Other Governing Board officers selected today include C.A. “Neil” Combee, Jr., vice chair; Todd Pressman, secretary; and Jennifer E. Closshey, treasurer.Chair Judy WhiteheadWhitehead of Brooksville was first appointed to the Governing Board in March 2003, and was elected the Boards Secretary in May 2004. Whitehead served…
Jarrod Bonnick says being able to participate in the hunt helped his rehabilitation.
Hunters and volunteers celebrate the end of a successful day of hunting.
A partnership between the District and the Outdoors Without Limits group provided a “soulful boost” to a former employee.
Jarrod Bonnick worked as an environmental scientist in the District’s Bartow Service Office before joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2005…
They pedaled, paddled and paraded through the pristine property.
Dubbed the bayou beyond boundaries, the newly restored Clam Bayou exemplified the success of multiple agencies coming together to restore and protect vital resources.
The District, along with officials from the Department of Transportation and the cities of Gulfport and St. Petersburg, recently held a dedication ceremony for the Clam Bayou Restoration and Stormwater Project, and Skyway Trail Extension…
From the top: Executive Director Dave Moore, left, and Governing Board former Chair Todd Pressman, right, honor Dick Prey for helping maintain the Withlapopka Community Park. Kim DeVary from Land Resources, left, thanks volunteer Carol Beaton for her work at Chito Branch Reserve. Brandt Henningsen from the SWIM Program, right, and Pressman, left, honor Jessica Welling from Tampa Bay Watch. The Lowry Park Zoo was on hand with native animals for the volunteers to see.…
Land use specialists have completed the first phase of a major retooling of trail markings to make it easier for people to use trails on District properties.
“We needed a standardized marking system for our trails,” said Carmen Sanders, District senior land use specialist. “Developing a standardized marking system will help us lay a solid foundation as we improve the trail systems on our properties. We want to improve the experience for visitors to our properties and…
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District ":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ (District) land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the wild hog population. Wild hogs, which are not native to Florida, feed on roots, tubors and grubs by rooting with their broad snouts and can leave an area looking like a plowed field. They also prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to…
"Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ land managers plan to hold a series of hog hunts on District land during the 2013-2014 feral hog dog hunt season to help reduce the wild hog population. The District will implement a three-phase hunting system. The first two phases of hunts will have separate registration processes. Top producers from Phase 1 will be awarded free hunts for Phase 2; top producers from Phase 2 will be asked to…