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Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, United States Geological Survey, the American Ground Water Trust and middle and high school teachers from Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee and Polk countiesWhat:The goal of this free, two-and-a-half-day workshop for teachers is to increase water awareness among teachers and students so that they are empowered to play an active role in protecting water resources.When:Thursday night through Saturday, June 19-21. Media…

Residents have a new resource for water conservation.The District has launched the new Water 101 website where residents can get water conservation tips for both inside and outside their home.  Whether someone is new to the area or lived in Florida for decades, the site offers a variety of ways residents can save both water and money. The site is divided into easy…

Governing Board Chair Neil Combee (second from right) joined former Governing Board chairs Joe Davis, Jim Allen, Mike Zagorac, Judy Whitehead, Tom Dabney, Heidi McCree and Jerry Rice on a discussion panel at the State of the Water Resources conference. The state of the District’s water resources was the focus of a one-day workshop that brought together decision-makers from across the region and the state. The November workshop provided attendees an update on…

During the dry season, many homeowners are tempted to over-water their lawns and gardens. The Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind homeowners that more water is not the answer to their landscaping dilemmas.“Proper irrigation will conserve water and maintain a beautiful Florida-friendly landscape,” said Lou Kavouras, District deputy executive director.Make sure your sprinklers are watering the lawn, not the driveway and street and…

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County will bring reclaimed water to the Lithia-Pinecrest area.The Lithia-Pinecrest Reclaimed Water Transmission Line Project includes the construction of 12,000 linear feet of 24-inch reclaimed water transmission main line along Lithia Pinecrest Road from Bloomingdale Avenue to the entrance road to the Riverhills Golf Course. The project also includes the related controls and telemetry…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River Dec. 12Dec 15. Infestations of water lettuce along the river in Marion County will be treated.Treatment involves using 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 irrigation of crops for five days and treated river…

District leaders recently helped celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Crystal River to Duke Energy Reclaimed Water Project. It will provide highly treated wastewater, known as reclaimed water, from the City of Crystal River to the Duke Energy power plant facility in Citrus County.  Infrastructure was built to transport all reclaimed water from the City of Crystal River’s wastewater sprayfield to the Duke Energy power generation complex, located west of US 19.…

Tampa Electric Company (TECO) recently received the 2015 Edison Award, the electric power industry’s highest honor, for a cutting-edge reclaimed water project at its Polk County Power Station. District leaders joined other community leaders in Tampa Tuesday to celebrate the honor given by the Edison Electric Institute. The District contributed $49 million to the nearly $100 million project that uses reclaimed water from Lakeland, Mulberry and Polk County pumped to the…

Who: Southwest Florida Water Management District, United States Geological Survey, the American Ground Water Trust and middle and high school teachers from Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota and Sumter countiesWhat: The goal of this free, two-day workshop for teachers is to increase water awareness among teachers and their students so that they understand the role of science and technology in meeting water supply challenges and are empowered to play…

The District is conducting exploratory well research more than a half mile below the surface. It’s happening at the Crooked Lake well site, located in southeastern Polk County. Central Florida has used the Upper Floridan aquifer as it’s predominant water source for decades. Now, with continued population growth, finding future water sources is more important than ever before.  George Schluttermann, a senior hydrogeologist with the District, said the data coming…

A restoration project cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will improve water quality and restore wetlands habitat in the Carrollwood area of Hillsborough County.The North Dale Mabry Highway Stormwater Retrofit and Wetland Restoration Project will restore nearly 11 acres of FDOT-owned property along Waters Avenue, near Sweetwater Creek in Hillsborough County. Nuisance and invasive species…

The WateReuse Association recently honored District Executive Director David Moore with the President’s Award for his outstanding leadership in the development and advocacy of reclaimed water. “I was very happy to accept this award on behalf of the District,” said Moore. “The award is truly the result of the hard work and dedication of many District employees in shepherding reuse projects that will protect our water resources and meet the water needs of west-central…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water hyacinths and water lettuce on portions of the Braden River March 6-9. The sites are located south of State Road 70 in Manatee County.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Restrictions on Reward include no livestock watering for one day,…

The Southwest Florida Management District and Sarasota County are working together on a project that will improve water quality by treating stormwater runoff within the Hudson Bayou watershed.The project involves constructing a water quality treatment system, which will treat stormwater runoff by removing nutrients and sediment from the runoff before it is discharged into the Alderman Street ditch canal system. The treated stormwater makes its way from the canal system…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the City of Winter Haven to improve water quality in Lake Howard by treating stormwater runoff that flows into the lake.Lake Howard is a 628-acre lake located west of downtown Winter Haven and is one of 16 interconnected lakes known as the Southern Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, which is a State Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Priority Water Body.During the past 10 years, the water quality in Lake…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River February 28 March 3. Infestations of water lettuce from the Rainbow River State park to the Withlacoochee River in Marion County will be treated.Treatment involves using 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…

Hotels and motels in Manatee and Sarasota counties now have the opportunity to participate in a successful water conservation program known as Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.)As part of the program, the Southwest Florida Water Management District invites hotel and motel owners, operators and management to participate in a “linens and towels reuse program.” The District supplies printed materials for guest rooms and educational…

A DeSoto County farm is the place to be to learn about water conservation and other environmentally friendly practices this April. Members of the public are invited to tour Natures Way Aquatic Farm April 27-28 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and April 29 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.Natures Way Aquatic Farm, which is located at 4899 N.W. Highway 72 in Arcadia, is an 11.5-acre environmentally friendly farm that raises edible and ornamental fish, water garden plants, wetlands…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Safety Harbor recently signed an agreement for a project to prevent erosion and improve water quality within the Mullet Creek watershed.The watershed covers approximately one square mile within the city and includes the Lincoln Highlands subdivision and the Harbor Lake industrial park. The work will begin at Harbor Lake and extend downstream to the 9th Avenue North crossing.During the past 50 years, development…

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…