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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.… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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,… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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 meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Members of the public can… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

More water will be available to fill up Tampa Bay Water’s C.W. “Bill” Young Reservoir as a result of two executive orders,Order No. SWF 07-042 andOrder No. SWF 07-043, signed today by David L. Moore, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The orders allow wholesale water… Read more

In an effort to continue to improve water clarity in Lake Panasoffkee, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is temporarily lowering the lake level by operating the Wysong-Coogler Water Conservation Structure.The District is in the process of dredging approximately 8.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake to improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation.However, the process of dredging the sediment is also removing… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Chris Dewey for his work as the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Builders/Developers Outreach coordinator in Pasco County at a ceremony that recognized outstanding water resources education programs and projects. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.Dewey has created a unique and beneficial working… Read more

Top: Hange, his coworkers and family pose for a picture after participating in a volunteer planting at Newman Branch Creek. Hange is on the left. Others pictured include Brian Townsend, equipment operator; Randy Hinkle, field operations coordinator; Danielle Hange, Adam’s daughter; and Karen Hange, Adam’s wife. Bottom: Hange and his daughter working together to plant marsh grass. Adam Hange, a District senior heavy equipment operator, may work with machines that… Read more