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The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be holding a series of hog hunts on District lands. Prospective hunters can purchase permits on the District’s web site at www.WaterMatters.org/hoghunts beginning Oct. 13.The cost is $50 for each permit. Permits will be available through 5 p.m. on Nov. 3. However, there are a limited number of permits available and permits will be issued on a first come, first serve basis.Hog hunts will be held on the following…

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…

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…

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…

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, June 23, at 9 a.m. remotely. In-person attendance by Board members and staff will be limited in accordance with the…

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, May 19, at…

Two officers of the District Governing Board are stepping up to new leadership roles, and two Board members are serving their first terms as officers. The District Governing Board unanimously elected Ronald E. Oakley to serve as Governing Board chair during its May meeting. Oakley served as the Board treasurer and vice chair before his election as chair. “I’m excited to continue to work to protect our natural resources, and I’m humbled that the Board would place so…

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, March 24, at 10 a.m. remotely. Following the Governor’s directions to reduce public gatherings and practice social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, in-person attendance by Board members and staff will be limited. With the exception of the Governing…

 Left to right: Fritz Musselmann, land resources director; Jerry Rice, Governing Board chair; Heidi McCree, past Governing Board chair; and David Moore, executive director, at a ceremony for the Little Everglades Ranch. Fritz Musselmann has played a major role in protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of land in his 31 years with the District, prompting a state senator to commend him for being a leader in land protection and management. In a letter…

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…

There are thousands of acres of recreational lands throughout the District and most of them are free to visitors. Now the District has two new resources to give more information about these opportunities. The District has published a new recreational guide highlighting nearly 70 properties in a new…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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.…

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,…

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…

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…

The District recently completed the next phase of the Hunters Cove Restoration Project in Citrus County. Lush mats of eelgrass were transferred to Hunters Cove and placed on the bottom of the cove in sections, similar to planting sod on land. The District had been growing the mats of eelgrass in ponds at the Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River.  The mats were recently rolled up and transported to the cove, where a dive team carefully placed the…