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August 2023Q: What is FARMS?A: The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems, or FARMS program for short, is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and promote resource sustainability. The program is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan… Read more
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday approved an agreement between the District and the St. Johns River Water Management District that will provide uniform lawn and landscape irrigation measures throughout unincorporated Marion County. The measures address both drought and normal conditions.Marion County is divided between the two water management districts, with the boundary roughly being Interstate 75. The two agencies currently… Read more
Who We Are
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) manages the water resources for west-central Florida as directed by state law.
The District encompasses roughly 10,000 square miles in all or part of 16 counties and serves a population of nearly 6 million people. The goal of the District is to meet the water needs of current and future water users while protecting and preserving the water resources within its boundaries.
A 13-member… Read more
Hunting »
Feral Hog Hunts2023–2024 Feral Hog Hunts information is now available.Learn about obtaining permits for the 2023–2024 hog hunts on District lands. Registration starts October 3. If you plan on applying for a permit, add WaterMatters.org/HogHunts to your browser’s favorites or bookmarks.… Read more
Year-Round Water Conservation Measures in Effect Districtwide
The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board is allowing once-per-week watering and other stringent water restrictions in the District's northern region to expire on Oct. 1, 2017. This region includes Citrus, Hernando, Sumter and portions of Lake, Levy and Marion counties.
All 16-counties throughout the District's boundaries are now on year-round water… Read more
The District and the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) recently issued a joint response to concerns expressed by regulated interests regarding implementation of these permitting criteria. This response is summarized below:
- The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), following the direction of the Department of Environmental Protection (Department), has informed permit applicants that stormwater discharges contributing to… Read more
October 2023Q: What kind of recreation opportunities does the District offer?A: There are thousands of acres of recreational lands throughout the District and access to most of them is free to visitors. If you are into biking, birding, boating, camping, canoeing and paddling, equestrian activities, fishing, hiking or hunting, there’s something for everyone on the nearly 70 properties. Several District properties offer picnic facilities, and… Read more
Your Questions Answered
May 2020
The Southwest Florida Water Management District maintains and operates 86 water control structures throughout the District’s 16-county region. The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Structure Operations Manager Mike Bartlett explains how these structures help provide flood protection, manage lake water levels and prevent salt water from flowing up freshwater streams and creeks.
Q:… Read more
It's easy and costs you nothing.
Join your fellow hotels and motels in Water CHAMPSM and conserve Florida's water.
What You Get
- Participation in a linen and towel reuse program
- Use of printed materials in all guest rooms
- Use of self-audit checklist
- Training of housekeeping staff
The Office of Agricultural Water Policy is a nonregulatory division of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS).Staff located at service offices of the Southwest Florida Water Management District work with the local agriculture community to promote best management practices (BMPs). They also work closely with the water management districts, USDA-NRCS, soil and water conservation districts, and UF-IFAS to aid in implementation of BMPs to improve… Read more
A properly designed irrigation system, along with regular updates and maintenance, plays a large role in reducing outdoor water waste and creating a healthy environment for your landscape. Use the tabs on the right to learn more about irrigation basics and how to “water smarter” outdoors.The Number One Rule for Outdoor Water Use: Know Your Water RestrictionsYear-round water restrictions outline what day of the week and at what time you are allowed to water your lawn… Read more
About the FARMS ProgramFARMS is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). In conjunction with water conservation BMPs, water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas.The program is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water… Read more
Highlights
- Designated an “Estuary of National Significance” in 1987
- Surface area of approximately 52 square miles
- Includes Manatee and Sarasota counties
- 150-square-mile watershed
- Alteration and loss of coastal uplands and wetlands due to development
- Spread of non-native animal and plant species
- Degraded… Read more
What are minimum flows and minimum water levels (MFLs)?In short, an MFL sets a limit on how much water can be withdrawn from various water resources to prevent significant harm occurring to those resources or the ecology of the area.What does “significant harm” mean?The Florida legislature did not define the term ‘significant harm.’ However, the District has developed criteria for significant harm to various types of water resources. The… Read more
What are MFLs?“MFLs” is short for minimum flows and minimum water levels. Minimum flows are set for rivers, streams, estuaries, and springs, while minimum water levels are established for lakes, wetlands, and aquifers. In short, an MFL sets a limit on how much water can be withdrawn from a water resource to prevent significant harm occurring to the water resources or the ecology of the area.Why does the Southwest Florida Water Management District set MFLs?Florida law (… Read more
In Marion County, order is limited to the city of Dunellon and the area encompassed by The Villages.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Phase I Water Shortage effective March 10 for portions of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. Due to an Interagency Agreement with the St. Johns River Water Management District, this order in Marion County would be limited to the city of Dunellon and the… Read more
The District established the Dover/Plant City Water Use Caution Area (D/PCWUCA) and a Recovery Strategy to address issues that followed an “unprecedented” cold event in 2010. An area assessment done in 2020 indicated that the Recovery Strategy was no longer needed, and in 2021, the District’s Governing Board approved rulemaking to eliminate the Recovery Strategy.
Background
In January 2010 there was a cold-weather event in… Read more
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to let all water shortage orders expire on July 31. Residents living within the District's boundaries are asked to observe the District's year-round conservation measures beginning August 1. However, some local governments may impose different schedules or retain stricter measures. Residents should check with their local governments… Read more
Saving Water IndoorsBy taking just a few simple steps, you can reduce your water use indoors. If we don’t conserve, we’re pouring water — and money — down the drain. It is estimated that each person in our region uses an average of 99 gallons of water each day. You can reduce your water use by taking just a few simple steps. So stop the leaks, slow the flow and use water wisely!Click on the following topics to learn more:
To improve accuracy, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has upgraded the datum used to record water level elevation.
The District has upgraded the datum, or starting point, used to record water level elevation at its data collection sites. Water elevation is measured in feet above mean sea level.
The datum was upgraded from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988… Read more