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The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinths on portions of Lake Tarpon Mar. 2023.Scattered infestations of these plants will be treated within shoreline areas and canals on Lake Tarpon.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Restrictions on Reward include no livestock watering for one day, no…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinths on portions of Lake Tarpon Aug. 1-4.Scattered infestations of these plants will be treated within shoreline areas and canals on Lake Tarpon.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Restrictions on Reward include no livestock watering for one day, no…

Restrictions eased for Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte countiesEditor's note: Contact Robyn Felix at Robyn.Felix@WaterMatters.org to receive a color map via email.The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board voted today to ease water restrictions for Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte counties. The Board voted to lift the Phase III restrictions for the Southern counties in the District due to improvements in public water supply storage as a…

Outdoor water use can account for up to 50 percent of water consumed by households, which means it is where water conservation practices can make the biggest impact.As part of Water Conservation Month, each week in April the Southwest Florida Water Management District is providing a few simple water conservation tips that the average resident can use. This week the concentration is on how you can reduce your outdoor water consumption by inspecting your irrigation system and…

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Town of Dundee will bring reclaimed water to approximately 1,821 residential customers and several commercial customers within Dundee.The Dundee Reclaimed Water Use System Project includes the construction of 18,800 linear feet of reclaimed water transmission main line, a high service pump station and two 2.25 million gallon storage tanks.This project will provide approximately 370,000 gallons of…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to "watch the weather, wait to water" during the summer months of June, July, August and September.According to research by the University of Florida, an average of three-quarters of an inch of water every three to five days is enough to replenish grass during the summer. West-central Florida receives…

The District encourages residents who irrigate their lawns to take advantage of the summer rains and “watch the weather, wait to water.” During the summer months of June, July, August and September, yards need no more than 3/4 inch of water every two to three days. If your lawn has received enough water from rainfall, then you can turn off your irrigation system and turn it back on when needed. The simplest way to determine if your yard needs water is to look for these…

Project Summaries Project summaries provide insight into project details as well as final results of campaigns, studies, pilots and programs that the District funds.   Florida-Friendly Fertilizing 2011 Year of Study The "Florida-Friendly Fertilizing" campaign's goal was to increase District residents’ knowledge about proper fertilizing procedures and the negative aspects of over-fertilizing or failing to follow package directions. A resulting…

A completed road project in Auburndale will help reduce flooding and improve water quality thanks to a partnership between the District and the city. Auburndale city leaders recently dedicated the PK Avenue project, which made improvements to the roadway that reduced residential flooding and helped improve water quality. The project was co-operatively funded by the District, the Auburndale Community Redevelopment Agency, and the City of Auburndale. This $4.5…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is partnering with the City of Tampa again in 2005 to offer residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low-flow models.The Tampa Plumbing Retrofit and Education Project is a cooperatively funded effort between the City of Tampa and the District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board. The District and the City of Tampa have co-funded this project, known as the Toilet Rebate Program,…

Virginia Frissell, a science resource teacher at Twin Lakes Elementary School in Tampa was named The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Water Steward of the Year.Frissell was chosen for her “Water Everywhere — Put It First — Make It Last” project. Her project was chosen from seven finalists. Twin Lakes Elementary is in the District’s Hillsborough River Basin.Frissell was honored at the Governing Board’s October meeting.…

Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties will be limited to once-per-week lawn watering beginning Dec. 1The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Modified Phase I Water Shortage due to ongoing dry conditions throughout the region and increasing water supply concerns. The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota…

The District’s Governing Board voted unanimously in October to tighten water restrictions in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The Governing Board was responding to a request by Tampa Bay Water, the region’s wholesale water supplier, because its water supplies have not returned to pre-drought conditions. “The Tampa Bay area is the most impacted region in the District,” said David Moore, District executive director. “The water shortage order in the Tampa…

Janey Baldwin, secretary of the Withlacoochee River Basin Board, left, talks with Jay Yingling, District senior economist, at the Regional Water Supply Plan public workshop for the Northern Planning Region. In an effort to plan for future water supplies and demands in our area, the District is updating the 2006 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP). This document was first published in 2001, in accordance with Florida Statute 373.0361, and is…

h2. Learn About Polk County's Natural Resources at Circle B Bar ReservePolk county residents and families are invited to attend the 2011 Water, Wings & Wild Things Nature Fest at "Circle B Bar Reserve(Circle B Bar Reserve)":/recreation/areas/circlebbarreserve.html. The free, annual event takes place Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The nature festival lets families learn about local natural resources and nature-based recreational opportunities. Presentations,…

Students at All Saints Academy in Polk County got to experience the water cycle first-hand on a recent rainy-day field trip to Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. The rain didn’t prevent the fourth- and fifth-grade students from enjoying their field trip. And instead, they used the opportunity to set up their rain gauges. The field trip is funded by the District.  Students also hiked through the property stopping to test water quality and use dip nets to examine…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has revised and extended the water shortage emergency order for the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to protect the drinking water supply for more than 250,000 residents.The executive order signed Thursday will allow the Authority to continue withdrawals from the Peace River at an increased rate as a means of meeting current water demand and storing additional water in its reservoir and two aquifer storage…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has revised the water shortage emergency order for the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to meet the drinking water supply for more than 250,000 residents.This modification allows the Authority to withdraw up to 120 million gallons per day (mgd) from the Peace River for up to 120 days. This increase in the maximum daily intake from 90 to 120 mgd will allow the Authority to take advantage of the high flows…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has revised and extended the water shortage emergency order for the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to protect the drinking water supply for more than 250,000 residents. The order is now scheduled to expire on October 26, 2008 unless it is rescinded or extended by District’s Governing Board or executive director. The order was slated to expire June 25, 2008.The executive order signed Wednesday will…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year.The District will hold a virtual public workshop at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28. Members of the public can…