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Who We Are & What We Do »
Who is the Southwest Florida Water Management District?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…
District declares Phase I water shortage »
h3. Residents urged to check their irrigation systemsThe "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard voted today to declare a Phase I water shortage for "the District's entire 16-county area (Map of the District)":/data/map/ beginning Dec. 1.The Phase I alert is intended to raise the public's awareness of dry conditions, and to direct water utilities and their local…
Water Loss Reduction Program »
This ongoing conservation program provides assistance to public water utilities in an effort to increase system efficiency and reduce system losses. To evaluate a utility’s system and identify opportunities for water loss improvement, the following practices may be recommended:
  • Water Audits
  • Leak Detection Surveys
  • Meter Accuracy Testing 
Water AuditsWater audits are periodic, quantitative assessments of water…
2025–2029 Strategic Plan »
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…
Vertical Datum Upgrade »
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 (NAVD 88…
Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) »
 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…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Spring Forward’ for Daylight Saving Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures. All 16 counties…
Feral Hog Health Warning »
Wild hogs may be infected with pseudorabies, leptospirosis or swine brucellosis. Check with your veterinarian about the transmission of pseudorabies to your dogs. Humans may contact leptospirosis and swine brucellosis by handling and dressing wild swine; however, the incidence is not likely. When harvesting a hog, the following protective measures should be taken:
  1. Use disposable rubber gloves while field dressing the animal
  2. Be…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Fall Back’ to Standard Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures. All 16 counties…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Fall Back’ to Standard Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time.Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with…
District Declares Phase I Water Shortage in Central and Southern Regions »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Phase I Water Shortage for the District’s central and southern regions, which include Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties. The primary purpose for a Phase I water shortage is to alert the public that watering…
District Lifts Phase II One-Day-Per-Week Water Restrictions »
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted to let Modified Phase II water shortage restrictions expire today for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties due to improvements in the region's water resources.This means those counties will return to the District's "year-round water conservation measures":http://www.watermatters.org/restrictions/ unless a stricter local ordinance applies. The…
District Lifts Phase III One-Day-Per-Week Water Restrictions »
The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted to let Modified Phase III water shortage restrictions expire today for Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, and Sumter counties as well as the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County due to improvements in the region's water resources.This means those counties will return to the District's "year-round water conservation measures":http://www.…
Vertical Datum Upgrade Frequently Asked Questions »
What is a datum?A datum is a standard position or level (i.e., starting point) from which measurements are taken.What is the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)?Originally called the Sea Level Datum of 1929, it was created for vertical control surveying in the United States. This datum was used to measure elevation above (altitude) and depression below (depth) mean sea level. However, as technology improved and the demand for greater accuracy increased,…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Spring Forward’ for Daylight Saving Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures. All 16 counties…
Water Rates »
Water utilities can reduce per capita water use and maintain revenues by using water-conserving rate structures. Your water management district can provide information and tools to help utilities accomplish these goals.Why Use Rates to Conserve?In many areas of Florida, water supplies are stressed as growth fuels new demand for water. To ensure a sustainable water supply, utilities are tapping alternative sources including conservation. The pricing of water is one way to…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Spring Forward’ for Daylight Saving Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Fall Back’ to Standard Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the end of daylight saving time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks back one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures. All 16 counties…
Water CHAMP Water Use Survey Results »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) created the Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water CHAMP℠) to reduce high water use in the hospitality industry. Water CHAMP has more than 350 participants throughout the 16-county District. Participants receive an environmental self-audit checklist, printed materials for a towel and linen reuse program, staff training materials, and publicity through Water CHAMP’s website and other promotional efforts.An…
Check Your Irrigation Timer When You ‘Spring Forward’ for Daylight Savings Time »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers this weekend, which is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Saturday night is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with year-round water conservation measures. All 16…