November 1996

Southwest Florida Water Management District - Services for Local Government

Supplying the water needs for 3.6 million people while protecting the environment across 10,000 square miles of west central Florida is a complex mission. The Southwest Florida Water Management District does not accomplish this mission alone, but through cooperation and coordination with a multitude of governments and agencies, including: 82 cities; 16 counties; More than 260 public and private water utilities; Three regional water supply authorities; Five regional planning councils; Numerous special districts, including 16 school boards and flood control districts; The state's other four water management districts; At least 12 state and federal agencies; Environmental organizations; Trade associations in industry, agriculture and chambers of commerce; State Legislature and local legislative delegations; US Congress; and (Internationally) Egypt, Morocco, Central America and the World Bank.

To foster cooperation and coordination, the District provides a wide variety of services to these governments and agencies.

The District regulates the water resource to ensure that it is protected and managed for the public. District regulatory authority is implemented through Rules of the District, Chapter 40D of the Florida Administrative Code (FAC). These rules allow for regulation of the following activities: Use of underground and surface water, 40D-2, FAC; Well construction, 40D-3, FAC; Environmental Resource Permitting, 40D-4, -40 and -400, FAC; Construction activities within selected surface water bodies, 40D-6, FAC; Establishment of water levels and rates of flow, 40D-8, FAC; and Emergency conservation of waters during periods of shortage, 40D-21 and -22, FAC.

These regulatory functions provide benefits, such as stormwater management, flood protection and wetlands/natural systems protection, to local governments who may not have the resources or expertise to provide them on their own.

Additional District services include Collecting and disseminating rainfall and other hydrologic information; Water conservation program assistance; Designing and managing water resource-related engineering projects; Operating and maintaining flood control structures; Managing aquatic plants; Purchasing and managing lands necessary for water management and natural resource protection; Reviewing large- scale development proposals; and, Studying and delineating flood-prone areas and surface water management levels.

There are other opportunities that facilitate District and local government coordination and cooperation, such as the District's Cooperative Funding program. Through this program, local governments, industries, private utilities, and others cooperate with their local District Basin Board to fund projects that benefit the water resources and the public in that specific area. The projects are proposed by the local government, school board or organization, and the costs are equally shared. The types of projects the Cooperative Funding Program provides include aerial mapping, water resource education, stormwater management/flood protection, conservation, alternative source development, groundwater protection, Surface Water Improvement and Management, and water quality.

The District realizes the importance and value of a sound, cooperative relationship with the governments here. Good coordination and cooperation helps to ensure a sustainable water supply for users and protection of the water resource itself -- benefiting the public and the environment.

For more information, please contact William Hennessey, Director of the District's Community Affairs Department, at 800/423-1476.