Search Content

Fixing leaks and installing a few inexpensive water-saving devices in your home could save up to 20,000 gallons of water each year.If you use utility or county water, your efforts could cut your monthly water and sewer bill in half. Unless your house was built after 1995, you probably have pre-conservation era plumbing that guzzles water. Fixing leaks and replacing old plumbing fixtures with water-saving models are two easy ways to conserve water and save money at the same…

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…

April 2024Q: What is Florida-Friendly Landscaping™?  A: Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ is a set of nine guiding principles which help protect natural resources and preserve Florida’s unique beauty. A Florida-friendly landscape is beautiful yet saves water and protects the environment too.Q: What are the nine guiding principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™?  A: The nine guiding principles of Florida-Friendly…

March 2025Q: Why does fertilizing my lawn responsibly matter?A: More than 1,000 new residents move to Florida daily, many of whom take pride in maintaining beautiful lawns along with long-time Floridians. However, fertilizers contain nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which, in excess amounts, can harm Florida’s natural water systems. Excess nutrients from fertilizers can wash into lakes, rivers, springs, estuaries and other water…

The Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program, or Water CHAMPSM, is a free towel and linen reuse program that encourages hotel and motel guests to use their towels and linens more than once during their stay.Tourists flock to Florida to enjoy the sandy beaches, scenic lakes and meandering rivers. Water CHAMP lodging facilities protect Florida's water resources by conserving water and reducing pollutants entering the environment.You can help keep Florida…

Your Questions Answered December 2019 Florida’s climate makes it ideal for growing a wide variety of crops, which makes the state’s agricultural industry one of the strongest in the country. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) believes working with the agricultural community to conserve water through our Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems or FARMS program is essential to help ensure future water supplies.…

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…

December 2024Q: 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 protect water quality in the springs. The program is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper…

 Feral Hog Hunts2025–2026 Feral Hog Hunts information is now available.Learn about obtaining permits for the 2025–2026 hog hunts on District lands. Registration starts October 1. If you plan on applying for a permit, add WaterMatters.org/HogHunts to your browser’s favorites or bookmarks.…

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…

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…

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 (…

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…

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…

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…