Alafia River Basin - Southwest Florida Water Management District

esource conservation helps the regional population become familiar with the myriad natural features and projects
underway in the region and how they can get involved. Bay Soundings falls within the Natural Systems, Water Quality,
and Water Conservation project categories, and is an Education project.
Evaluation is routinely conducted through feedback from the readership. A reader- and on-line user-survey was
conducted in the Spring and Summer 2009 issues to gauge readability, educational value, topics of interest, format
preferences, etc. The feedback was very helpful and the journal was revised based on the results of the survey and
input from the Editorial Advisory Board. Recent feedback from the all of the Middle School science teachers of
Hillsborough County, to whom packages of Bay Soundings are sent during the school year, has been very informative
and will help shape future issues of the journal.
Describe your organizations efforts in developing, implementing and enforcing water conservation and flood
protection ordinances.
The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, through the goals and policies of its Future of the Region: A Strategic
Regional Policy Plan for the Tampa Bay Region (2005), encourages water conservation, flood protection, aquifer
protection and recharge, and natural resource protection and restoration, and supports SWIM plans and the protection
and management of surface and groundwater quality as well as public and citizen stewardship of our natural resources.
These regional policies are used in the review of Developments of Regional Impact and local government's adopted
Development Orders for same, local government Comprehensive Plans and amendments, Environmental Resource
Permit applications, State Clearinghouse project applications, and any other projects or land use changes that come to
the Council. By law, local government comprehensive plans are required to be consistent with regional policy plans.
The Council's Agency on Bay Management addresses issues relating to Tampa Bay, its watershed and the natural
resources of the Tampa Bay region, which includes Pasco, Pinellas Hillsborough and Manatee counties. Water supply,
water quality, and habitat protection are key issues that the Agency has addressed in recent months.
Bay Soundings consistently includes articles related to water conservation, wetlands protection and habitat restoration.
See the list in this application's project description of the numerous articles in the four 2010 issues alone that have
addressed water conservation. While Bay Soundings and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council are not directly
involved in developing, implementing or enforcing ordinances, we believe that by informing the public about topics that
are important to the District - and to a healthy Tampa Bay and environment - the community is more likely to understand
the reason for resource protection and to embrace protection and wise use of our natural resources.
Also, the journal is provided to all elected officials and legislators in the region. It is reasonable to believe that the
information provided in Bay Soundings on these topics is read by the officials and influences their thinking on these
topics.
Funding Source
Prior
Funding
FY2011
Budget
FY2012
Budget
Future
Funding
Total
Funding
Alafia River 900 900 900 2,700
Applicant Share 22,500 22,500 22,500 67,500
FL Dept of Transportation Dist
Seven
6,500 6,500 13,000
Hillsborough River 2,475 3,712 3,712 9,899
Manasota 2,475 2,475 2,475 7,425
Pinellas Anclote 4,163 4,163 4,163 12,489
SWFWMD NW Hillsborough
Basin
1,237 1,237
SWFWMD SWIM 11,250 11,250 11,250 33,750
Tampa Bay Estuary Program 22,500 22,500 45,000
Total 74,000 74,000 45,000 193,000
Matching Fund Reduction
Check here if requesting a reduction in matching funds requirement pursuant to s.288.06561, F.S.
Timelines
April 2012 - Spring Issue
Milestone
Projected Date
Production, printing and distribution of the Spring Issue 04/30/2012
Continually
Milestone
Projected Date
Pursue other sources of funding to cover rising costs and expanding
12/31/2012
outreach
January 2012 - Winter Issue
Milestone
Projected Date
34