The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is a regional governmental district that oversees water resources from

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

to the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

. The mission of the SFWMD is to manage and protect water resources by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply, covering 16 counties in Central and

Southern Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...

. It is the largest water management district in the state, managing water needs for 7.7 million residents. A key initiative is the restoration of America's

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...

– the largest environmental restoration project in the nation's history. The District is also working to improve the

Kissimmee River The Kissimmee River is a river in south-central Florida, United States that forms the north part of the Everglades wetlands area. The river begins at East Lake Tohopekaliga south of Orlando, flowing south through Lake Kissimmee into the large, s ...

and its floodplain,

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee (), also known as Florida's Inland Sea, is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the tenth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest natural freshwat ...

and South Florida's coastal estuaries. The Governing Board consists of Chauncey Goss, Scott Wagner, Ron Bergeron Sr, Carlos E. Martinez, Cheryl Meads, Charlette Roman, Jay Steinle, and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.

History

In 1947, after years of drought, the state was deluged by rainfall averaging 100 inches along the lower east coast, almost twice the norm. Much of the ground was saturated when two hurricanes hit the state late in the year, and flooding throughout the region was devastating. Florida asked the federal government for a master plan to tame nature's excesses. In 1948, the U.S. Congress adopted legislation creating the Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project, the largest civil works project in the country. Construction began the next year and continued over 20 years as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the massive flood control plumbing system stretching from just south of Orlando to Florida Bay. In 1949, the Florida Legislature created the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District, the predecessor to the South Florida Water Management District, to manage the C&SF Project. In 1972, with the Florida Water Resources Act (Chapter 373), the state created five water management districts, with expanded responsibilities for regional water resource management and environmental protection. In 1976, voters approved a constitutional amendment giving the districts the authority to levy property taxes to help fund these activities. All five of the state's water management districts' boundaries are determined by watersheds and other natural, hydrologic and geographic features. Today, the South Florida Water Management District is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. A book detailing the first forty years of the South Florida Water Management District titled "Into the Fifth Decade" was written by Thomas E. Huser. In the year 2000, the

Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the plan enacted by the U.S. Congress for the restoration of the Everglades ecosystem in southern Florida. When originally authorized by the U.S. Congress in 2000, it was estimated that CERP ...

began to undo some ecosystem damage caused by the C&SF Project.

Local Sponsor

The SFWMD is the designated local sponsor for the

Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

(C&SF Project) —known as the

Flood Control Act of 1948 The Flood Control Act of 1948 was passed by the United States Congress on June 30, 1948, giving the Chief of Engineers the power to authorize minor flood control projects without having to get Congressional approval. It also authorized several lar ...

—pursuant to
§ 373.103(2), Florida Statutes

Operations

The regional water management system – with nearly 2,000 miles of canals and more than 2,800 miles of levees/berms, 69 pump stations, 645 water control structures and more than 700 culverts – helps to protect regional water supplies and provide flood control. Weather extremes dramatically affect South Florida's water supply and flood protection actions. In response, the District actively operates and maintains the water management system, promotes water conservation and works with communities to develop alternative water supplies. The management is currently working to restore water flow to the Everglades.

Programs

The South Florida Water Management District manages many programs, including the controversial Water Farming program, which results in minimal returns for taxpayers and would be much cheaper on state owned land.

Public areas

Many of the lands protected by the District are open to the public for recreational use. * Allapattah Flats *

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife sanctuary is located west of Boynton Beach, in Palm Beach County, Florida. It is also known as Water Conservation Area 1 (WCA-1). It includes the most northern remnant ...

Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

in Martin County *

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in St. Lucie County * Catfish Creek (Florida) in Polk County * Chandler Slough in Okeechobee County * Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed * Cornwell Marsh *

DuPuis Management Area DuPuis Management Area is a 21,875 acre protected area in northwestern Palm Beach County, Florida and southwestern Martin County, Florida. Recreational opportunities include hunting, horseback riding, cycling, camping, hiking, auto touring, and fish ...

* Gordy Road Recreation Area * Halpatiokee Regional Park in Martin County *

Harold A. Campbell Public Use Area Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Art ...

* Hickory Hammock Wildlife Management Area * Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area * Intercession City * KICCO *

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida state park There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost h ...

Lake Kissimmee Lake Kissimmee is a lake located about east of Lake Wales, Florida, USA. The lake is almost entirely in Osceola County, but the western shore, and a small part of the lake, is in Polk County. Lake Kissimmee State Park is rich with wildlife, i ...

- Bird Island, Drasdo, Gardner-Cobb Marsh, Lightsey, Strum Island *

Lake Marion Creek Wildlife Management Area A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

* Lake Russell (Florida) in Osceola County * Lower Reedy Creek * Loxahatchee River/Cypress Creek Management Area * Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area * MICCO Landing * Miller/Wild Property * No Name Slough * North Fork St. Lucie River *

Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area (WMA) protects 2,992 acres of the larger Okaloacoochee Slough ecosystem approximately 30 miles east of Fort Myers in Hendry County, Florida. Fauna The wetlands within Okaloacoochee Slough WMA provi ...

* Pal-Mar East/Nine Gems *

Paradise Run ''Paradise Run'' is an American reality competition television program that aired on Nickelodeon from February 1, 2016 to June 4, 2018. The program is presented by Daniella Monet. Premise At the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii, three teams ...

* Queen's Island (Florida) in St. Lucie County * Reedy Creek (Florida) * Riverbend Park * Rough Island North and South * Shingle Creek Management Area * Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Lee County * Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area * Spruce Bluff in St. Lucie County * Starvation Slough * SUMICA in Polk County * Taylor Creek (Florida) * Ten Mile Creek (Florida) * Three Scrub Sites * Upper Reedy Creek

References

External links

Official Website
{{authority control Water management authorities in the United States State agencies of Florida 1972 establishments in Florida Government agencies established in 1972