Southwest Florida Water Management District
Encyclopedia
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), unofficially nicknamed “Swiftmud” or SWFWMD, is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
state law
State law
In the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature and adjudicated by state courts. It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law. These disputes are often resolved by the federal courts.-See also:*List of U.S...
to protect and preserve water resources
Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
. Established in 1961 the agency operates and maintains several large properties and flood protection projects, sometimes with other agencies. The District's responsibilities have expanded to include managing water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
and protecting water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
and the natural systems — river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s and associated upland
Upland and lowland (freshwater ecology)
In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland and lowland.-Definitions:Upland habitats are cold, clear, rocky, fast flowing rivers in mountainous areas; lowland habitats are warm, slow flowing rivers found in relatively flat lowland areas, with water that is...
s.
Area of jurisdiction
The District encompasses approximately 10000 square miles (25,899.9 km²) in all or part of 16 counties in west-central FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
including Charlotte
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...
, Citrus
Citrus County, Florida
Citrus County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 118,085. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 141,416 . Its county seat is Inverness, Florida...
, DeSoto
DeSoto County, Florida
DeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 32,209. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 35,406 . Its county seat is Arcadia, Florida. The county comprises the Arcadia, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :DeSoto...
, Hardee
Hardee County, Florida
Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...
, Hernando
Hernando County, Florida
Hernando County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 130,802. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 165,409 . Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida. The majority of the county's population is in Spring Hill, west portion of Hernando...
, Highlands
Highlands County, Florida
Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346. Its county seat is Sebring, Florida. The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
, Lake
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...
, Levy
Levy County, Florida
Levy County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 34,450. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 37,998. Its county seat is Bronson, Florida. Levy is pronounced lee vee.- History :...
, Manatee
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Marion
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
, Pasco
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
, Pinellas
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
, Polk
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
, Sarasota
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
, and Sumter
Sumter County, Florida
Sumter County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 53,345. The 2006 Census estimate puts its population at 68,768 . Its county seat is Bushnell, Florida and the largest incorporated municipality is Wildwood, Florida. The Villages,...
counties, serving a population of more than 5 million people.
The District is divided into eight basins, which are based primarily on watershed or geographic boundaries. Seven of the District's basins are administered by local Basin Boards, while an eighth — encompassing the Green Swamp
Green Swamp (Florida)
The Green Swamp is a swamp in Florida. It lies west of Highway 27 in Polk, Lake, Sumter, Hernando and Pasco Counties. The headwaters of the Peace River, Withlacoochee River, Ocklawaha River, and Hillsborough River are located here....
— is managed directly by the District Governing Board because of its hydrologic significance.
Administration and funding
A 13-member Governing Board oversees District activities. Members are unpaid volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate to four-year terms to set policy and administer the budget. The Board chooses an executive director who is approved by the state Senate. The executive director oversees a diverse staff of professionals, including engineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s, geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s, biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
s, attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s, educators and administrators.
Funding comes from voter-approved ad valorem
Ad valorem tax
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es, along with state and federal funding such as the state's Florida Forever Program. While there is a legislative limit on the tax levy of 1 mill ($1 for each $1,000 of assessed land value), actual tax levies have been less than the maximum.
Public areas
Every year, about 2.5 million people visit public conservation landsConservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
acquired by the District and its partners to protect Florida's water resources. Properties in the district include:
- Alafia River ReserveAlafia River ReserveThe Alafia River Reserve is a recreation area and water conservation area managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District in Polk County, Florida. It is and is located at 4872 Indian Oak Drive in...
in Polk County - Annutteliga HammockAnnutteliga HammockThe Annutteliga Hammock is a park and preserve in Hernando County, Florida's the Brooksville Ridge and protects groundwater recharge. It connects with the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area and offers trails for hiking and horseback riding....
in Hernando County - Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature PreserveBrooker Creek Headwaters Nature PreserveBrooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve is located in northwest Hillsborough County, Florida and is managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The area is located at 18102 Ramblewood Road in Lutz, Florida and offers hiking opportunities. It protects wetlands and headwaters of the...
in Hillsborough County - Brooker Creek PreserveBrooker Creek PreserveBrooker Creek Preserve is located in Pinellas County, Florida and is managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. It is , is located at 3940 Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and offers birding, horseback riding, and hiking....
in Pinellas County - Charlotte Harbor Preserve State ParkCharlotte Harbor Preserve State ParkCharlotte Harbor Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, composed of islands and land that surrounds Charlotte Harbor. It is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and protects the Gasparilla Sound/ Charlotte Harbor, Cape Haze, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound aquatic...
in Charlotte County - Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps in Citrus County
- Chito Branch ReserveChito Branch ReserveThe Chito Branch Reserve is located in southeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, and is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District landholdings. It was acquired by the District in 2001, is , and located at 11254 Browning Road in Lithia, Florida. The preserve protects a water resorvoir...
in Hillsborough County - Circle B Bar ReserveCircle B Bar ReserveThe Circle B Bar Reserve is located in Polk County, Florida. It comprises at 4399 Winter Lake Road in Lakeland, Florida and is managed as part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. It is named after the cattle ranch that once occupied the site and was purchased to help maintain the...
in Polks County - Cliff Stephens ParkCliff Stephens ParkCliff Stephens Park is in Pinellas County, Florida. It is managed as part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Located at 600 Fairwood Avenue in Clearwater, Florida, it is in size...
in Pinellas County - Conner PreserveConner PreserveConner Preserve is a natural area in central Pasco County, Florida preserved for water management since 2003. The landscape includes steep sandhill ridges, marshes, cypress sloughs and pine flatwoods and is "part of a wildlife habitat corridor envisioned by Pasco County and the Southwest Florida...
in Pasco County - Cypress Creek PreserveCypress Creek PreserveCypress Creek Preserve is a park in Pasco County, Florida at 8720 Pump Station Road in Land O' Lakes, Florida....
in Pasco County - Deep Creek PreserveDeep Creek PreserveDeep Creek Preserve is located in DeSoto County, Florida. The area serves as a water conservation resource and offers opportunities for a range of activities. It is located at 10797 SW Peace River Street in Arcadia, Florida.-External links:...
in DeSoto County - Edward Medard Park and ReservoirEdward Medard Park and ReservoirEdward Medard Park and Preserve, originally known as Pleasant Grove Reservoir Park, is located in Hillsborough County, Florida. The park in Plant City and was the cite of phosphate mining in the 1960s by the American Cyanamid Company, before the land was donated . A dike and resorvoir were...
in Hillsborough County - Edward W. Chance Reserve Coker Prairie and Gilley Creek tracts in Manatee County
- Flying Eage Preserve in Citrus County
- McGregor Smith Boy Scout Reservation in Citrus County
- Withlapopka Community Park in Citrus County
- Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Pasco, Sumter, Lake and Polk counties
- Colt Creek State ParkColt Creek State ParkColt Creek State Park is a Florida State Park in central Florida, north of Lakeland off of State Road 471. It became open to the public in January 2007. It is part of a series of landholdings that comprise the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve....
in Polk County - East Tract in Sumter, Lake and Polk counties
- Hampton Tract in Polk County
- Little Withlacoochee Tract in Lake County
- West Tract in Pasco County
- Half Moon-Gum Slough in Sumter County
- Halpata Tastanaki PreserveHálpata Tastanaki PreserveHálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located in Marion County, Florida and is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. It is and located at 15430 SW CR 484 in Dunnellon. Various sports and recreation opportunities are offered by the park including hiking, fishing, biking, horseback riding...
in Marion COunty - Jack CreekJack Creek (Florida)Jack Creek is a water conservation area and park in Highlands County, Florida. It is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District....
in Highlands County - Lake Marion Creek Horseshoe Scrub Tract in Polk County
- Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County
- Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal in Pinellas County
- Little Manatee River Lower Tract in Hillsborough County
- Little Manatee River Southfork Tract in Manatee County
- Little Manatee River Upper Tract in Hillsborough County
- Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County
- Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, Flatford Swamp Preserve, and Myakka Prairie Tract on the Myakka RiverMyakka RiverThe Myakka River is a river in southwestern Florida. It arises near the Hardee-Manatee county line and flows southwest and then southeast through Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties to Charlotte Harbor, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. The river is long and has a drainage basin of...
in Sarasota, Manatee, and Sarasote counties - Myakka State ForestMyakka State ForestThe Myakka State Forest is in the U.S. state of Florida. The forest is located on the southwest coast, in North Port.-References and external links:*...
in Sarasota County - Panasoffkee Outlet in Sumter County
- Potts PreservePotts PreservePotts Preserve is an property protected by the Southwest Florida Water Management District in Inverness, Florida . Wetlands in the preserve "play a role in both the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes and the Withlacoochee River systems." Biking, birdwatching, camping, horseback riding, boating, fishing,...
in Citrus County - Prairie/ Shell Creek in Charlotte County
- RV Griffin ReserveRV Griffin ReserveRV Griffin Reserve is located in DeSoto County, Florida at 8910 Kings Highway in Arcadia, Florida and includes . The preserve is named for a county commissioner, is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is managed by the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority ....
in DeSoto County - Sawgrass Lake ParkSawgrass Lake ParkSawgrass Lake Park is a park located in Pinellas County, Florida. The park offers a road for biking and in-line skating, as well as birdwatching, hiking, and picnicking. Located at 7400 25th St. North in St...
in Pinellas County - Starkey Wilderness PreserveStarkey Wilderness PreserveThe Starkey Wilderness Preserve is located in Pasco County, Florida and includes biking and hiking trails, camping sites, picnic areas, equestrian trails and cabins. It is named after Jay B. Starkey, a cattle rancher who bought the property in 1937 and later donated hundreds of acres...
, J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park and Serenova Tract in Paso County - Tampa Bypass CanalTampa Bypass CanalThe Tampa Bypass Canal and Palm River are a flood bypass operated by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The canal includes several concrete flood control structures and was constructed during the 1960s and 1970s...
in Hillsborough COunty - Terra Ceia Preserve Frog Creek in Manatee County
- Terra Ceia Preserve State Park in Manatee County
- Two Mile Prairie in Citrus County
- Upper Hillsborough Preserve in Pasco and Polk counties
- Weekiwachee Preserve in Hernando County
- Withlacoochee River ParkWithlacoochee River ParkWithlacoochee River Park is located in Pasco County, Florida. The property is and is located at 12449 Withlacoochee Boulevard in Dade City. It includes a canoe launch, dock, of hiking trails, as well a bicycling, bird watching, picnic facilities, camping, fishing, an observation tower, and a...
in Pasco County - Wysong Park in Sumter County
District Headquarters
Southwest Florida Water Management District
2379 Broad Street
Brooksville, FL
Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville is an incorporated city in Hernando County, Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Hernando County. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
34604-6899
(352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only)
TDD 800-231-6301
www.WaterMatters.org
See also
- Northwest Florida Water Management DistrictNorthwest Florida Water Management DistrictThe Northwest Florida Water Management District stretches from the St. Marks River Basin in Jefferson County to the Perdido River in Escambia County. The District is one of five water management districts in Florida created by the Water Resources Act of 1972...
- St. Johns River Water Management DistrictSt. Johns River Water Management DistrictThe St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in Florida. SJRWMD covers an 18-county region in northeast and east-central Florida...
- South Florida Water Management DistrictSouth Florida Water Management DistrictThe South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency supervised by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection , and is responsible for water quality, flood control, water supply and restoration of the environment in 16 counties in Central and Southern Florida...
- Suwannee River Water Management DistrictSuwannee River Water Management DistrictThe Suwannee River Water Management District is the smallest of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in a 15-county region in north-central Florida...
External links
- http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/
- http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/watman/
- http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/watman/wmd_map.htm