The St. Johns River Water Management District ("SJRWMD") is one of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing
groundwater and
surface water
Surface water is water located on top of land forming terrestrial (inland) waterbodies, and may also be referred to as ''blue water'', opposed to the seawater and waterbodies like the ocean.
The vast majority of surface water is produced by prec ...
resources in
Florida. SJRWMD covers an 18-county region in northeast and east-central Florida.
It employs approximately 600 people at offices in
Palatka,
Jacksonville,
Maitland, and
Palm Bay. The district's headquarters is located in
Palatka.
The budget for 2013-14 is $135.5 million.
History
SJRWMD is one of five water management districts that were established in 1972 by Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, as independent special districts, and were empowered by the electorate in 1976 to assess
''ad valorem'' taxes to fund the management of the state’s water and related land resources, to benefit people and the environment. Each water management district is administered by a Governing Board composed of residents appointed by the Governor and approved by the
Florida Senate. All districts report directly to the governor.
In 2013, the District lost a case before the U.S. Supreme court in ''
Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District''.
Area of Jurisdiction
The counties which are entirely within SJRWMD are: Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Lake, Marion, Nassau, St. Johns, Seminole, Putnam, and Volusia. Partial counties include: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Okeechobee, Orange, and Osceola. SJRWMD covers 12,283 square miles (31,813 km²), or 23 percent of Florida. , 4.73 million people (about 21 percent of the state’s population) made their home in SJRWMD.
The major river within SJRWMD is the
St. Johns River. The two major tributaries are the
Econlockhatchee River and the
Ocklawaha River. Other major waterways are the
St. Marys River, which serves as the boundary between Florida and Georgia; and the
Nassau,
Ocklawaha,
Matanzas
Matanzas (Cuban ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish ''Bahia de Matanzas''), east ...
,
Halifax, and
Indian rivers. SJRWMD contains 96 springs and more than 1,400 lakes.
See also
*
Northwest Florida Water Management District
*
South Florida Water Management District
*
Southwest Florida Water Management District
*
Suwannee River Water Management District
The Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in a 15-county region in north-central Florida, United States. It is the smallest of five Florida water management districts. ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Johns River Water Management District
Water management authorities in the United States
State agencies of Florida
1972 establishments in Florida
Government agencies established in 1972
Organizations based in Putnam County, Florida
Palatka, Florida