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A spring is a place where groundwater discharges from the underlying limestone bedrock to the Earth's surface through a natural opening in the ground. In the Springs Coast Watershed, the Floridan aquifer is close to the land surface, which means that the springs are exposed portions of the aquifer! As windows into the aquifer, springs have long been one of Florida's most valued natural and scenic resources. In 1513, the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon came to Florida in… Read more

The Tampa Bypass Canal System helps prevent the Hillsborough River from flooding by diverting water around the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrace.   Hurricane Donna caused widespread flooding throughout Tampa and the surrounding area in 1960. The city experienced significant river flooding caused by rainfall, runoff and storm surge. In response, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) was created in 1961 by a special act of the Florida… Read more

6000 B.C.While archaeologists report evidence of human activity in the Green Swamp dating back to as early as 6000 B.C., permanent ancient human settlements have never been discovered. However, it has always been home to an abundance of plant and animal life, making it attractive for human use. The land was used by ancient peoples for hunting and food gathering, as well as collecting material to make weapons.1513-1542 A.D. Hernando de Soto explored the area  … Read more

This project removed contaminants in Sawgrass Lake, improving its water quality.   Property Information

• Sawgrass Lake Park is located just southwest of the intersection of Gandy Boulevard and I-275 in Pinellas County.
• The property is owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and managed by Pinellas County.
• The lake and the wetland system on the property provide flood protection and natural…

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As bureau chief of General Services, Dave Dickens oversees the District’s Document Services, Public Records, Fleet Services and Facilities sections.Dave has 12 years of experience managing transportation, facilities and safety programs for water management districts in Florida.He most recently served as the Transportation and Facilities Bureau chief for St. Johns River Water Management District, where he managed budget, procurement, capital projects and contract management.… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) acquires lands for the conservation and protection of the water and water-related resources, including lakes, rivers, wetlands and estuaries. These conservation lands serve as natural filters improving water quality, storing and retaining flood waters and helping recharge our aquifers. They also are home to many native plants and animals. The District is required to maintain a balance between public access,… Read more

The District is facilitating an independent scientific peer review of wetland-based criteria for establishing minimum water levels to prevent significant harm caused by water withdrawals. Overview The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is holding an independent, scientific peer review of wetland-based criteria for use in establishing minimum wetland and lake levels beginning in May 2022. A minimum level is the level of groundwater in an aquifer… Read more

Please read these important details: 

• If requesting Splash! grant funds to support an on-site or virtual field trip, please select a program (not just location) from this list.
• Field trip locations must be one hour or less drive time from your school. Notice the counties listed in parenthesis next to the field trip programs. This indicates that most schools within that county are likely to meet the travel requirement.  
• Notice the grade…

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Over time, the springs’ water quality and amount of water they discharge have been threatened by both human activities and natural factors. The challenges facing our springs include:  

• Increases in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus due to development in springsheds, excessive fertilizer use and failing septic tanks. Excess nitrate levels in water can be harmful to aquatic insects, amphibians and fish. If algae have an…

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In addition to flow from springs, the Withlacoochee River also receives water from several tributaries. The most notable are the Little Withlacoochee River, Gum Slough, Jumper Creek and the Outlet River from Lake Panasoffkee.Several lakes, including Lake Panasoffkee, Tsala Apopka and Lake Rousseau, are also key features that affect river flows. Along with the Withlacoochee and Rainbow rivers, these lakes are all designated Outstanding Florida Waters by the State of Florida.… 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

As the assistant director of Resource Regulation, Brian Starford is responsible for the division’s production. This includes establishing performance metrics for Resource Regulation’s critical functions and monitoring those functions to ensure that established performance expectations are met. Starford also assists the director with the administration of the division’s permitting and compliance operations.Starford began his career at the District in 1987 as a water resource… Read more

The Lake Hancock projects are a critical part of meeting minimum flows in the upper Peace River, improving water quality in the river and protecting Charlotte Harbor. Property  Lake Hancock is a 4,500-acre lake in the headwaters of the Peace River. From Lake Hancock, the … Read more

Some of the cities and towns located in the Springs Coast Watershed include Brooksville, Crystal River, Dunnellon, Homosassa, New Port Richey and Spring Hill. The trademarks of this watershed are the many springs that discharge to form rivers, the extensive coastal swamps and salt marshes, high pine woodlands and lakes.There are more than 200 documented springs that occur throughout the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District). Five of these have a discharge of… 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

Assisting the agricultural community by improving irrigation efficiency and conserving water. The Mobile Irrigation Lab program is an ongoing joint effort between the District, the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA–NRCS) and the agricultural community. The program began in 1987 to assist the District in meeting its statutory responsibilities and to assist growers with water conservation.The Mobile Irrigation Lab is a free… Read more

A watershed is an area of land that water flows across as it moves toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or coast. The Alafia River watershed is approximately 270,000 acres, or 418 square miles. Although a portion of the watershed lies in Polk County, most of it lies in Hillsborough County. In fact, it’s the largest watershed in Hillsborough County.  .embed-container {position: relative; padding-bottom: 70%; height: 0; width: 150%;margin-left:-… Read more

The Chassahowitzka Springs Restoration Project improved water quality and the bottom habitat for plants and animals. Project OverviewThe Southwest Florida Water Management District restored portions of Chassahowitzka Springs by removing accumulated sediments, which improved the water quality and the bottom habitat for plants and animals.BackgroundSand and organic materials have been transported by flows from residential canals and stormwater runoff to the springs and… Read more

This project restored natural coastal habitats and treats stormwater runoff to improve the water quality and natural systems of Clam Bayou. Property Information Clam Bayou is a 170-acre estuary in Pinellas County. It is surrounded by the cities of Gulfport to the west, St. Petersburg to the north and east, and Boca Ciega Bay to the south. Approximately 127 acres of Clam Bayou are publicly owned. Project Background Until the 1920s, Clam Bayou was relatively… Read more