The Southwest Florida Water Management District was created by the Florida Legislature in 1961 as a flood control agency. Over the years, the mission and responsibilities of the District have grown, but regional flood protection remains one of its primary responsibilities.

The historical method of flood protection in Florida has been the “structural” approach. This involves excavating ditches, and building canals, dams and structures (“gates”) to reduce the level of flooding in a given area. Of the 80 water management structures the District maintains and operates, only 14 of them are actual flood control structures. The rest provide for management of water levels in lakes, or prevent salt water from flowing up freshwater streams and creeks.

The Tampa Bypass Canal is the largest and most visible of the flood control facility managed by the District. Like other major structural flood control facilities, this system of detention areas, structures and canals stores and diverts flood waters, and prevents flood damage along the lower Hillsborough River in the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrace during periods of heavy rainfall.

Although the District’s origin is rooted in structural flood protection, the emphasis — and current policy — has shifted to using non-structural methods and preserving natural floodplain areas. The simplest and most effective approach to flood protection is prevention — not building in or altering floodplain areas. Areas that flood naturally provide a host of water management functions that need to be preserved, including:

  • Providing temporary floodwater storage, minimizing flood damage to other areas
  • Serving as recharge areas for the aquifer — one of our main sources of drinking water
  • Improving water quality
  • Sediments settling out of floodwater as it flows across a floodplain
  • Serving as important natural habitats

One non-structural approach to protecting floodplain areas is to bring the land under public ownership. Since the 1970s, the District has acquired an interest in more than 405,000 acres of land for the public under the state’s Save Our Rivers, Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever programs.

State statutes provide the framework for the water management districts to adopt rules regulating manmade impacts to surface waters of the state. The District has adopted rules that address construction that alters stormwater runoff. These regulations require that construction not cause a reduction to the volume of water that can be stored within the 100-year floodplain, nor can it obstruct the flow of water within the floodplain. These rules help preserve the storage benefits of a floodplain, while allowing reasonable and responsible development. Because rules to regulate these activities did not exist until the mid-1980s, many local flooding problems are in developments built before then.

Working Together for Protection

To minimize flood damage, it is essential to know floodplain boundaries. Almost all major rivers, streams, and lakes in the District have been studied and flood levels identified for 10-, 25- and 100-year flood events. The District is cooperating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to modernize the existing floodplain information through the District’s Watershed management Program. The District is a cooperating technical partner with FEMA and is receiving federal funding for modernizing and updating the floodplain information throughout the District. The District provides this information to local governments, and technical support is available to the public upon request, to aid them in their land-use development decisions.

Projects cooperatively funded by the District and local governments include topographic information and watershed management plans, which includes floodplain analysis — all of which lead to floodplain identification. Once identified, the natural benefits of a floodplain can be protected and preserved.

Citizens can obtain more information by downloading or viewing the information pamphlet Understanding Flooding & Floodplains PDF file .

Responding to Flooding

The District responds to flooding events by providing support and information to local and state governments, the media and the public. During large-scale emergencies such as hurricanes, the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated and staffed up to 24 hours a day to monitor water levels, direct external crews, and provide up-to-the-minute information to local governments, the public and media. The District’s EOC was staffed 24 hours a day for much of August and September 2004 in response to hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.

Many of the calls placed to the EOC are by residents concerned about rising water levels. Having correct, up-to-the-minute information is vital, not only for these callers, but also for the efficient use of flood protection and water conservation structures. To gather this information, the District uses a highly advanced, scientific computing system called the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. A network of 263 remote sites continuously communicates information on rainfall, water levels and other hydrologic conditions. One hundred and thirty-nine radio sites transmit real-time data measurements and 124 additional sites transmit near real-time data through phone-line supported communication.

Through the SCADA system, the District provides critical rainfall information and water levels for the National Weather Service, state Emergency Operation Center, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Tampa Tribune, Florida Citrus Mutual, extension agents with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida, the District’s Emergency Operations Center, and the counties of Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota.

Flood Investigation Teams

The District has flood investigation teams which provide assistance to local and state officials on emergency relief measures during localized flood events. The Flood Investigation Team assists with emergency construction authorization and determining solutions to flooding problems. The types of projects typically receiving District assistance include the placement of stormwater culverts; removing excess sediments to improve the flow of water in swales, roadside ditches, creeks and streams; emergency pumping; the construction of temporary outfall ditches; the enlarging of stormwater retention ponds; and the lowering of outfall structures to allow more water to flow away from flooding areas.

District flood relief efforts were recognized in July 1998 when Pasco County passed a resolution honoring the District’s Flood Investigation Team. The District was again recognized in 2004 by the City of Fort Meade for the assistance provided in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley. The District also received awards in 2004 for completion of flood protection upgrades at Medard Reservoir (American Public Works Association) and the District’s overall safety program for its water control structures (Association of State Dam Safety Officials.)

May 2005

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