The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is a regional governmental district that oversees water resources from Orlando to the Florida Keys. The mission of the SFWMD is to manage and protect water resources by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems, and water supply, covering 16 counties in Central and Southern Florida. It is the largest water management district in the state, managing water needs for 7.7 million residents. A key initiative is the restoration of America's Everglades – the largest environmental restoration project in the nation's history. The District is also working to improve the Kissimmee River and its floodplain, Lake Okeechobee and South Florida's coastal estuaries.
The district's governing board consists of Chauncey Goss, Scott Wagner, Ron Bergeron Sr., Carlos E. Martinez, Cheryl Meads, Charlette Roman, Jay Steinle, and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.
History
In 1947, after years of drought, the state was deluged by rainfall averaging 100 inches along the lower east coast, almost twice the norm. Much of the ground was saturated when two hurricanes hit the state late in the year, and flooding throughout the region was devastating. Florida asked the federal government for a master plan to tame nature's excesses. In 1948, the U.S. Congress adopted legislation creating the Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project. Construction began the next year and continued over 20 years as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the massive flood control plumbing system stretching from just south of Orlando to Florida Bay.
In 1949, the Florida Legislature created the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District, the predecessor to the South Florida Water Management District, to manage the C&SF Project. In 1972, with the Florida Water Resources Act (Chapter 373), the state created five water management districts, with expanded responsibilities for regional water resource management and environmental protection. In 1976, voters approved a constitutional amendment giving the districts the authority to levy property taxes to help fund these activities. The boundaries of all five of the state's water management districts are determined by watersheds and other natural, hydrologic, and geographic features. The South Florida Water Management District is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts.
A book detailing the first forty years of the South Florida Water Management District titled "Into the Fifth Decade" was written by Thomas E. Huser.[2]
The regional water management system – with nearly 2,000 miles of canals and more than 2,800 miles of levees/berms, 69 pump stations, 645 water control structures, and more than 700 culverts – helps to protect regional water supplies and provide flood control.
Weather extremes dramatically affect South Florida's water supply and flood protection actions. In response, the District actively operates and maintains the water management system promotes water conservation, and works with communities to develop alternative water supplies.
Programs
The South Florida Water Management District manages many programs, including a controversial water farming program, which results in minimal returns for taxpayers and would be much cheaper on state-owned land.[4]
Public areas
Many of the lands protected by the District are open to the public for recreational use.
