TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez announced the winners of the 2023 Florida Python Challenge®. This year, Florida had 1,050 participants from 35 states and Belgium remove 209 Burmese pythons from South Florida during the 10-day competition created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partners to increase awareness about invasive species and the threats they pose to Florida’s ecology. This year’s winner removed 20 Burmese pythons, taking home a $10,000 ultimate grand prize.

Join the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for upcoming public meetings and events in the next three weeks. For a list of all upcoming meetings, check out our Meeting Calendar. Meeting agendas are available at least seven days in advance. 

Meeting format varies for each meeting, and some meetings may be in-person only, virtual only, or a hybrid of both formats.

Take note of upcoming SFWMD public meetings

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is encouraging our partners, stakeholders and the public to provide written comments on the draft versions of Chapters 1, 2, 3 and Appendix A for the Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan Update.

The plan will assess current and projected water needs in the Lower East Coast Water Supply Planning Area through 2045. The planning area includes Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties as well as most of Monroe County and the eastern portions of Hendry and Collier counties.

“All of us at the South Florida Water Management District are saddened by the passing of former Governing Board Chairman Joe Collins. He served four years on the governing board including two as chairman. He had a deep love for Florida’s precious natural resources in addition to being a staunch defender of our taxpayer dollars. We are honored to have known Joe, to have worked with him, and to have called him a friend. We look forward to continuing down the path he helped pave to improve Florida's waters.”

-SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Chauncey Goss

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. - Today, the South Florida Water Management District and the National Park Service completed an environmental restoration project in Everglades National Park that will increase the flow of clean, freshwater through the park. The Taylor Slough Flow Improvement Project will move more water south through to Florida Bay, where it is needed to balance salinity levels and promote ecological health. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announces that registration for the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® is now open. Participants this year will have the chance to win a share of more than $30,000 in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild. Starting today, those interested in participating in the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® can complete the required online training to compete in the 10-day competition which runs August 4–13, 2023. The competition is open to both professional and novice participants.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -  Today, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Jacksonville District (USACE) joined federal, state, and local officials to break ground on the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) North. This important Everglades restoration project will restore water levels in the northern portion of the Central Everglades and improve our water resource resiliency in South Florida. 

Building or maintaining fires on District lands in seven counties is prohibited until further notice because of imminent danger of wildfires

The South Florida Water Management District has extended a temporary burn ban to include District lands in Highlands, Lee, Orange, Osceola and Polk Counties due to dry conditions and the imminent danger of wildfires in the region.

The temporary burn ban issued on March 14, 2023 for District lands in Collier and Hendry Counties remains in effect.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - Today, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Miami-Dade County and many federal, state and local officials broke ground on the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands (BBCW) Project - Cutler Wetlands Component. This project will improve the health of Biscayne Bay and will aid in wetland rehydration - building coastal resiliency and improving water quality in this area of Miami-Dade County. The Cutler Wetlands Component is the final component of the five-part Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project.