Heartland Seat on SFWMD Board Draws 13 Applicants

Publisher/Editor Katrina Elsken, of Lake Okeechobee News, gives us a rundown of each of the 13 applicants for the vacant seat for the at-large member for an area that includes Glades, Highlands, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Polk counties. The Heartland seat has been vacant since March on the South Florida Water Management District board. TALLAHASSEE — Thirteen people have submitted …

Emergency Watershed Protection Program

With Hurricane Dorian working its way up the Eastern Coast, and the fact we are nearing the peak of the 2019 Hurricane Season, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners should your area suffer damage from a natural disaster, their Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) can help relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by not …

NCBA on WOTUS Legal Victory

Earlier this month, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded the introduction of the Define WOTUS Act. In other news concerning the Waters of the U.S., NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel Scott Yager discusses a significant legal victory. Yager says there are currently 27 states that have an injunction against the 2015 rule, but the other states still have the rule …

Millions in Agricultural Crops at Risk as Dorian Approaches Florida

GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — If Hurricane Dorian makes landfall mid-way up Florida’s Atlantic Coast – as many models predicted Thursday afternoon – the storm could devastate not only Central Florida tourist destinations, but also the region’s agricultural areas, which include significant acreage devoted to citrus, vegetable, ornamental plant and cattle production. Economists and Extension faculty with the University of Florida …

Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date

(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding …

Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date

(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding …

DeSantis: Keep Up ‘Momentum’ on Water Issues

TALLAHASSEE, FL (NSF) — During an appearance in Bonita Springs Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis encouraged advocates for clean water to keep pressing lawmakers to pass conservation measures in the upcoming 2020 legislative session. DeSantis, proudly noting that legislators this year exceeded his environmental funding request of $625 million by $55 million, said local voices are needed to maintain the “momentum” …

Glades Sugarcane Farmers Continue Water Quality Success

Recently, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced that once again, sugarcane and vegetable farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) surpassed annual phosphorus reduction targets by reducing phosphorus 44 percent – bringing the average annual reduction to 56 percent since the program began in 1996. “Good news on water gets lost in the shuffle, but sugarcane farmers continue …