Search Content

Bell Barnett, of Winter Haven, was appointed to the Governing Board in December 2020. She is a former educator and a community advocate. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College and her Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida. Bell Barnett is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.A fifth-generation Floridian, Bell Barnett earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, and her… Read more

The Alafia River watershed is a textbook example of karst topography. A karst terrain is produced by acidic water dissolving the underlying bedrock (mostly limestone). Springs are a common feature of karst topography. A spring is a natural opening in the ground where water flows directly from the aquifer to the earth’s surface. Florida has the largest concentration of springs in the world. Lithia Springs and Buckhorn Springs… Read more

Updated February 2025Our mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public’s water needs are met.The Strategic Plan provides a road map for how the District will meet the water resources challenges of west-central Florida by identifying what needs to be accomplished, how the job will be done, and how success will be measured. In addition to identifying the District’s programs, the Plan targets specific priorities in each of the our four… Read more

There are more than 200 documented springs throughout the District. However, most individual springs cluster around 16 groups of springs, five of which are classified as first-magnitude groups based on the amount of water they discharge. While recognizing the need to manage all springs, the District places a priority on the five first-magnitude spring groups: Rainbow, Crystal River/Kings Bay, Homosassa, Chassahowitzka, and Weeki Wachee. These spring groups, located in… Read more

Doing Business with the District Thank you for your interest in doing business with the District. We procure goods and services in a fair and ethical way that encourages competition, is consistent with applicable laws, policies and procedures, and ensures taxpayers receive the most value for tax dollars. We also follow these values and guiding principles of public… Read more

Blackwater streams and rivers originate in swampy areas and get their names because the water that flows through them is stained dark brown, like the color of tea, by organic acids. This staining gives the appearance of "black" water. Some examples of blackwater rivers in the District include the Hillsborough, Withlacoochee and Pithlachascotee rivers. Some of the animals you will find in blackwater streams and rivers include alligators, river otters, bluegills, snapping… Read more

The Withlacoochee River is one of Florida’s wondrous waterways, one of the few rivers in the world flowing south to north. It is 160 miles long, starting in the Green Swamp and winding through eight different counties before discharging into the Gulf of America.

 The name Withlacoochee is derived from a Creek Indian word meaning Little Big Water, a likely description of the high and low fluctuations the river naturally experiences.As you travel… Read more

Interactive Map   View the new interactive map that allows you to search, zoom and discover additional information about all of our recreation… Read more

Robert Stern of Tampa is a partner and attorney for Trenam Law.Stern was appointed to the Governing Board in February 2023, and his term expires March 1, 2026.Stern has served on a wide variety of local and state civic, charitable, governmental and community organizations. He was previously appointed and served on the University of Florida board of trustees and has served on the University of Florida National Alumni Association for nearly three decades, including serving as… Read more

Water Quality Basics Water quality is a description of the condition of water, similar to how we refer to our health to describe the condition of the human body. Water quality can refer to the chemical, physical and biological condition of water. It also includes evaluating whether water is safe to be used for a specific purpose like drinking, recreation or to support wildlife. You can’t tell much about the quality of water simply by looking at it. In… Read more

Restaurants use an average of 5,800 gallons per day of water. Following a comprehensive water use evaluation, a Largo, Florida restaurant was given the following recommendations for water conservation: Bathroom Retrofits

• replacing toilets with new 1.6 gallon per flush models
• installing lavatory aerators that reduced the water flow from 2.7 to 1.5 galons per minute

Potential savings of 700,00 gallons of water and $3,860 each… Read more

Privacy Policy Under Florida law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to any Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) email address. Instead,… Read more

Lake Tarpon SWIM Plan Update The Surface Water Improvement and Management, or SWIM, program evaluates priority water bodies, identifies challenges and implements projects to improve water quality and natural systems. The District is currently updating the SWIM plan for Lake Tarpon and the draft plan is below: Approval ProcessThe draft Lake Tarpon SWIM plan will be presented… Read more

 Peace River Challenges and RestorationNatural factors, such as the geology of the region and rainfall, contribute to the amount of water recharging the Upper Floridan aquifer and surface water bodies in the area as do human influences, such as groundwater use. There have also been substantial changes to the Peace River watershed over the past 150-200 years, including the clearing, draining and re-contouring of lands for phosphate mining, agriculture… Read more

 Highlights

• Homosassa Springs is the headwaters of the Homosassa River and is known as the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park
• The park serves as a rehabilitation center and refuge for orphaned or injured manatees.
• Located in Citrus County
• 270-square-mile springshed

ChallengesThe river has numerous canals and seawalls that have had a negative impact on water quality and habitat.StrategiesThrough cooperation with other government… Read more

Consistent with direction provided by Governor DeSantis, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has canceled all nonessential travel and implemented social distancing to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Additionally, all District offices will be closed to the public beginning March 17, 2020 until further notice. During this time, our staff will continue to conduct business and provide quality service from alternative work locations… Read more

About the Watershed Management ProgramThe District takes a watershed approach to managing water and water-related resources within its boundaries. By doing so, all the characteristics of each watershed can be evaluated to reflect the real, interconnected nature of Florida’s water resources. This increases the District’s ability to clearly identify, prioritize and address issues related to the area’s water resources. The Watershed Management Program provides a method to… Read more

A Water Use Permit (WUP) allows withdrawal of a specified amount of water, either from the ground or from a lake or river.A Water Use Permit (WUP) authorizes the consumptive use of particular quantities of ground or surface water. The Florida Statutes (Chapters 120 and … Read more

James Holton of St. Petersburg is the president and owner of JWH Properties, Inc., MHH Enterprises, Inc. and James W. Holton, P.A.Holton was appointed to the Governing Board in February 2023, and his term expires March 1, 2026.Holton is Of Counsel at Hall Booth Smith, PC in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is the President and Owner of Holton Companies, which develops and invests in real estate projects throughout the state of Florida. He is also an attorney and fundraiser for… Read more

 This project improved water quality in the Weeki Wachee River.Project OverviewThe Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hernando County made enhancements to stormwater management at Rogers Park. The park is owned by the County and located on the Weeki Wachee River. These improvements benefit the river by reducing the amount of sediments and nutrients entering the river. Project DetailsThis project uses Low Impact Development (LID) techniques to… Read more