TAMPA - An increasing number of homeowners forced to abandon their houses is creating a rising number of backyard swimming pools turning into green mosquito nurseries. ...more

June 24, 2008

SEBRING - The summer rains are coming but water restrictions are not relenting. The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board voted unanimously to extend the once-per-week restrictions that have been in place since January 2007 through Sept. 30. ...more

June 24, 2008

A tardy and fitful start to the summer rainy season and a dry end of spring mean the Hillsborough River is lower than it should be at this time in June, and Tampa water customers will see a small bump in bills because of it. ...more

June 20, 2008

Rain was falling in the Tampa Bay area this year, producing a surplus of 3.5 inches through April. ...more

May 28, 2008

Rainfall around the Tampa Bay area was doing pretty well this year, racking up a surplus of 3.5 inches through April. Then came May. At 0.73 of an inch, rainfall at Tampa International Airport so far this month lags almost 1.5 inches below normal, and the deficit has chewed away nearly half of the extra rain accumulated in the first four months of 2008. ...more

May 27, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Mark Cook. ...more

May 26, 2008

Monday's small brushfire in Avon Park Estates will hopefully serve as a reminder for residents to be prepared. To see just how devastating brushfires can be, check what happened in Brevard County last week. All it took apparently was tossing a cigarette and the result was thousands of acres of land burned, 30 homes destroyed, 140 structures damaged, people displaced and lives impacted for years to come. Although May is officially the last month of the brushfire season, the threat of fire is still very possible in many parts of the state. It has been dry – as evidenced by lawns turning brown – and will likely continue to remain that way. May is traditionally one of the driest months of the year in Florida. ...more

May 17, 2008

SEBRING — The drawdown request on Lake Istokpoga was approved earlier this month by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allowing for the lake to potentially sink down to an elevation of 36 feet if its water is needed for irrigation to the south. Neither Highlands County Lakes Manager Clell Ford nor Trails End Fishing Resort owner Gary Albin has noticed any withdrawals from the lake since the approval. Ford said, however, that the water permit holders to the lake have been allowed to use their permits again on two different days of the week. ...more

January 28, 2008

There's something about the holiday season that makes even the most frugal among us (yup, that would be me) a little splurgy. I have all the decorations I need - nay, more - but still my shopping cart pulls toward the garden center. I want ho-ho red petals, fir-green leaves and snow-white blossoms for the front porch, the faux mantel, the patio. ...more

December 15, 2007

SEBRING — Residents, fisheries and businesses around Lake Istokpoga are bracing for another drawdown request that will, if granted, last much longer than the one granted this summer. Even though summer rains made it so that Istokpoga's water wasn't needed back then, the latest request could last until the end of next summer, and it would include the water-intensive spring time when growers and landscapers alike use the greatest amount of water. Highlands County Lakes Manager Clell Ford was not sure how great an impact this deviation would have on the lake, but he was certain it would be consequential if it is approved, unlike the last one. South Florida Water Management District, which manages Lake Istokpoga, asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last month to allow for a new drawdown. ...more

November 27, 2007