South Florida Water Management District

The Florida Forest Service updates the Keetch-Byram Drought Index daily, which shows Collier and Lee counties in bright red to indicate the lack of moisture in the soil. The dry conditions have caused trees, shrubs, and dead trees felled by Hurricane Ian to become drier, creating tinder-like conditions in Southwest Florida.

Environment

Wildfire threat in Southwest Florida gets real as drought conditions persist

Tom Bayles

The typical spring wildfire season is in full swing on Southwest Florida, already burning down home in the day fu;;s

Two egret chicks can be seen in a nest as a pair of adult birds above them cross their beaks

Environment

South Florida's wading birds nested at near-record numbers

Tom Bayles

Nearly 102,000 egret, spoonbill, ibis, and heron nests were discovered during the 2021 season. The stunning total is 2.5 times more nests than in recent decades

Environment

More than $1.6M in grants awarded SWFL communities as part of DEP resilience effort

WGCU Staff

All 67 counties in Florida will take part and complete a vulnerability assessment and be eligible for inclusion in future iterations of the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan, which proposes funding for the highest ranked resilience and adaptation projects across the state.

The water that comes from Lake Okeechobee is still cause for debate over who gets to use how much, with a bill introduced in Tallahassee this session that would put into law that big agriculture would continue to receive healthy amounts while environmentalists want more of the water cleaned by Everglades restoration efforts to go to The River of Grass and nearby communities

Controversial legislation that competes for Everglades water passes Florida Senate

Tom Bayles

A Florida Senate bill that critics claim is being fast-tracked through the Legislature to ensure big agriculture receives all of the water it already uses from Lake Okeechobee, rather than follow longstanding plans to send more of it into the Everglades, passed the chamber late this week.

Fort Myers to Host C-43 Reservoir Water Quality Summit

Mike Kiniry

Once it’s completed, the massive Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage, or C-43 reservoir, near Alva will hold about 55 billion gallons of water…

Gov. DeSantis Appoints Three More SFWMD Board Members

Andrea Perdomo

Governor Ron DeSantis announced three new appointees to the South Florida Water Management District, Thursday, at a press conference in Naples. From North…

Government & Politics

We Talk to Newly Appointed SFWMD Board Member Chauncey Goss

Mike Kiniry

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he's appointing Chauncey Goss to the board of the South Florida Water Management District, where he'll represent Lee,…

Apps Help the Public Fight Invasive Species in Florida

Matthew F Smith

South Florida is a hotspot for invasive species, and the exotic plants, reptiles, amphibians, and fish that take root in the subtropical region of Florida…

Environment

Scientists Call For Re-Evaluation Of $16 Billion Everglades Restoration

A committee of scientists is recommending a re-evaluation of a $16 billion restoration of the Florida Everglades, the largest in American history.The…

Dispute Over Invasive Fern Threatens National Wildlife Refuge

An invasive fern is at the heart of a dispute threatening a national wildlife refuge in the Florida Everglades. The South Florida Water Management…