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The Southwest Florida Water Management’s Peace River Basin Board honored students and teachers from Lakeland Christian School and Barbara Carlton for their commitment to water resources.The board presented the students and teachers from Lakeland Christian School with a Water Stewardship Award and Carlton with a special recognition award.The board chose the Lakeland Christian School’s “Water Wiseguys” project to receive the Water Stewardship Award…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Monday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for the Aloha Utilities Seven Springs Service Area in Pasco County.The service area includes approximately 7,300 acres east of New Port Richey and adjacent to State Road 54.The permit does not increase the annual average permitted quantity of 2,040,000 gallons of water per day (gpd.)However, it does allow for a temporary increase in peak month quantity, from 2…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday amended and extended a permit that allows Tampa Bay Water to withdraw water from the Tampa Bypass Canal for water supply needs.Tampa Bay Water, the region’s wholesale water supplier, provides water to Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, as well as the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa.The modified permit allows Tampa Bay Water to increase the diversion rate from 30 percent…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved additional funding Tuesday for a project that will connect the Town of Longboat Key to the City of Sarasota’s water supply.The project is funded between the District and the Town of Longboat Key. The District’s Manasota Basin Board’s 2005 budget included $50,000 for the project. Now Longboat Key will receive an additional $200,000 in financial assistance from the District…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored two Citrus County projects at the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the event.

• Jennifer Jabo and Marie Bienkowski, Forest Ridge Elementary School teachers, were recognized for their hands-on water conservation education program. This 2007–2008 Splash! mini-grant project helped students…

District staff, members of the academic community, elected officials, the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and other members of the community joined together in Tampa during March to share ideas about water supply and alternative supply sources. The Water Rally featured informative presentations, an interactive panel, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Wes Skiles’ video. Heidi McCree, Governing Board chair, provided opening comments while David Moore,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Kristen Russell-Milford, an Inverness Primary School teacher, for her students’ outstanding water resources education project. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.Through Russell-Milford’s project, “Water is Part of the Solution,” Inverness Primary School students learned about Florida-…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for Bartow.The modified permit increases the permitted quantities for the city. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 4,445,800 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 7,900,000 gpd, which is an increase of 3,454,200 gpd.The quantity was increased to meet current and future water demands for the residential and commercial…

Tampa Tribune food critic Jeff Houck, left, and Governing Board Secretary Paul Senft, right, put water samples to the test. Governing Board Secretary Paul Senft set out to find the best drinking water in the region. When he found it, he helped crown Hernando County as the winner of the Region IV 2010 Best-Tasting Drinking Water Contest on Feb. 26 in Zephyrhills. The contest was sponsored by Region IV of the Florida Section of the American Water Works…

Low water levels on Lake Panasoffkee have resulted in the growth of desirable native aquatic plants in more than 80% of the lake bottom according to state environmental scientists. The state agencies include the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.The Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council has been in the process of dredging approximately eight million cubic…

Won-Seok Kim, University of South Florida graduate student, second from left; Jeff Cunningham, USF assistant professor, third from left; and Anthony Andrade, District senior water conservation analyst, fourth from left, meet with the South Korean delegation at the USF Marshall Student Center. A delegation from the Environmental Research Institute of South Korea, the country’s equivalent of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, toured Pinellas County, Dunedin…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored three outstanding Hillsborough County projects that focused on water resources education. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.

• Diane King and Brad Jackson, Valrico Elementary School teachers, were recognized for their project, “Cycles of Life.” As part of a 2006-2007 Splash! mini-…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized 14 Hillsborough County projects as outstanding school, community grant or volunteer programs that focus on water resources education. A total of 52 projects were recognized during the October 7 Reflect, Connect, Celebrate Water Resources Education Conference at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs.To select the awardees, District staff reviewed grants applied for by…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized 14 Hillsborough County projects as outstanding school, community grant or volunteer programs that focus on water resources education. A total of 52 projects were recognized during the October 7 Reflect, Connect, Celebrate Water Resources Education Conference at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs.To select the awardees, District staff reviewed grants applied for by…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board and the City of Punta Gorda are among the stakeholders who signed a plan today that will improve water quality in the Shell Creek and Prairie Creek watersheds, Punta Gorda’s primary water supply source.By signing the Shell CreekPrairie Creek Watershed Management Plan, stakeholders of diverse interests are coming together to join forces and work to address water quality issues in a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized eight Pinellas County projects as outstanding school, community grant or volunteer programs that focus on water resources education. A total of 52 projects were recognized during the October 7 Reflect, Connect, Celebrate Water Resources Education Conference at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs.To select the awardees, District staff reviewed grants applied for by…

Visitors of the 13th Annual Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival will have the opportunity to experience water conservation in action when they stop in and use the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s water conservation restroom station.The festival is being held March 10 and 11 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala. The office is located at 2232 N.E. Jacksonville Rd.Community festivals allow the District to spread the word…

Summer rains not enough for water resources to fully recoverThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to extend the current Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, through Feb. 27, 2009.The Governing Board chose to extend the term of the water shortage order because the region is still impacted by the two-year drought and portions of the District did not receive enough rain…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Kurt Vargo and Lorna Ransom from DeSoto County’s Parks and Recreation Department for their work on Water Education Day, an outstanding water resources education project. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.“Water Education Day” targeted DeSoto County residents and their personal connection to the watershed. Participants…

Hotels and motels can celebrate National Tourism Week by signing up to participate in the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s successful water conservation program known as Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.)National Tourism Week is May 13 through May 20. According to VISIT FLORIDA, the states official tourism marketing organization, approximately 85.8 million people visited the state last year. That translates to more than $57…