The Southwest Florida Water Management District (or SWFWMD, pronounced as "swiftmud" based on the word acronym) is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve

water resources Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. These resources can be either Fresh water, freshwater from natural sources, or water produ ...

. Established in 1961, the agency operates and maintains several large properties and

flood protection Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...

projects, sometimes with other agencies. The District's responsibilities have expanded to include managing

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...

and protecting

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

and the natural systems — rivers, lakes, wetlands, and associated

upland Upland or Uplands may refer to: Geography *Hill, an area of higher land, generally *Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points *Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level *I ...

s. The district's stated mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public's water needs are met.

Area of jurisdiction

The District encompasses approximately in all or part of 16 counties in west-central

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

including Charlotte,

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando,

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

, Hillsborough,

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

Levy Levy, Lévy or Levies may refer to: People * Levy (surname), people with the surname Levy or Lévy * Levy Adcock (born 1988), American football player * Levy Barent Cohen (1747–1808), Dutch-born British financier and community worker * Levy ...

Manatee Manatees (, family (biology), family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivory, herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing t ...

Marion Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People a ...

, Pasco,

Pinellas Pinellas is the name of a peninsula located roughly halfway down the west coast of Florida. It forms the western boundary of Tampa Bay and comprises the bulk of Pinellas County. There is a city named Pinellas Park in south Pinellas. The peninsul ...

Polk DNA polymerase kappa is a DNA polymerase that in humans is encoded by the ''POLK'' gene. It is involved in translesion synthesis DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell (biology), cell identifies and corrects damage to the ...

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Ba ...

, and

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumt ...

counties, serving a population of more than 5.5 million people.

Administration and funding

A 13-member governing board oversees the 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 engineers, geologists, biologists, attorneys, educators, and administrators. Funding comes from voter-approved

ad valorem An ''ad valorem'' tax (Latin for "according to value") is a tax whose amount is based on the value of a transaction or of a property. It is typically imposed at the time of a transaction, as in the case of a sales tax or value-added tax (VAT). A ...

property taxes, along with state and

federal funding Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

such as the state's Florida Forever Program. While there is a legislative limit on the

tax levy A tax levy under United States federal law is an administrative action by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under statutory authority, generally without going to court, to seize property to satisfy a tax liability. The levy "includes the power ...

of 1 mill ($1 for each $1,000 of assessed land value), actual tax levies have been less than the maximum.

Public recreation areas

Every year, about 2.5 million people visit public conservation lands acquired by the district and its partners to protect Florida's water resources. Properties in the district include: * Alafia River Reserve in Polk County *

Annutteliga Hammock Annutteliga Hammock is a park and preserve in Weeki Wachee, Florida, Hernando County, Florida's the Brooksville Ridge and protects groundwater recharge. It connects with the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area and offers trails for hi ...

in Hernando County *

Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve Brooker 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 oppor ...

in Hillsborough County *

Brooker Creek Preserve Brooker Creek Preserve is located in Pinellas County, Florida, owned by the Pinellas County government and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and managed by the Pinellas County Parks and Conservation Resources Department. It encomp ...

in Pinellas County *

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park is a Florida State Parks, Florida State Park, composed of islands and land that surrounds Charlotte Harbor (estuary), Charlotte Harbor. It is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and protec ...

in Charlotte County *

Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps Chassahowitzka may refer to: * The Chassahowitzka River, a spring-fed river located in southwestern Citrus County, Florida * The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States ...

in Citrus County *

Chito Branch Reserve The Chito Branch Reserve is located in southeastern Hillsborough County, Florida Hillsborough County is located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. In the 2020 census, the population was 1,459,762, making it the fourth-m ...

in Hillsborough County *

Circle B Bar Reserve The Circle B Bar Reserve is an area of protected lands in Polk County, Florida, United States. Consisting of near Lakeland, the restored wetlands site is managed by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which co-owns it with th ...

in Polk County *

Cliff Stephens Park Cliff Stephens Park is in Pinellas County, Florida. It is managed as part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

in Pinellas County * Conner Preserve in Pasco County *

Cypress Creek Preserve Cypress Creek Preserve is a 7,400 acre (3,000 ha) park in Pasco County, Florida at 8720 Pump Station Road in Land o' Lakes, Florida. According to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) the land was purchased to provide flood ...

in Pasco County *

Deep Creek Preserve Deep Creek Preserve is located in DeSoto County. 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. It is part of the Southwest Florida ...

in DeSoto County * Edward Medard Park and Reservoir in Hillsborough County *

Edward W. Chance Reserve Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...

Coker Prairie and Gilley Creek tracts in Manatee County * Flying Eagle Preserve in Citrus County * McGregor Smith Scout Reservation in Citrus County * Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Pasco, Sumter, Lake and Polk counties *

Colt Creek State Park Colt Creek State Park is a Florida State Park in Central Florida, north of Lakeland off of State Road 471. This 5,067 acre park nestled within the Green Swamp Wilderness Area and named after one of the tributaries that flows through the pro ...

in Polk County *

East Tract East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...

in Sumter, Lake and Polk counties *

Hampton Tract Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia * Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region *Hampton, Victoria **Hampton railway station, Melbourne ...

in Polk County * Little Withlacoochee Tract in Lake County *

West Tract West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

in Pasco County *

Half Moon-Gum Slough One half is the multiplicative inverse of 2. It is an irreducible fraction with a numerator of 1 and a denominator of 2. It often appears in mathematical equations, recipes and measurements. As a word One half is one of the few fractions w ...

in Sumter County * Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County * Jack Creek in Highlands County *

Lake Marion Creek Horseshoe Scrub Tract A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...

in Polk County *

Lake Panasoffkee Lake Panasoffkee is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sumter County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,551 at the 2010 census. History Early inhabitants Boggy Island was an autonomous black Seminole village that was settled by Cen ...

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 Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

in Hillsborough County *

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...

in Hillsborough County * Marshall Hampton Reserve in Polk County *

Deer Prairie Creek Preserve Deer Prairie Creek Preserve is a natural area with of trail in unincorporated Sarasota County, Florida, USA, around along the Myakka River. History The land was acquired between 2000 and 2004 through a partnership between Sarasota County’s ...

Flatford Swamp Preserve Flatford is a small hamlet in the civil parish of East Bergholt, in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is most famous for Flatford Mill, Willy Lott's Cottage and Bridge Cottage, immortalised in the paintings of John Co ...

, and Myakka Prairie Tract on the

Myakka River The Myakka River is a river in southwestern Florida. It arises near the Hardee County, Florida, Hardee-Manatee County, Florida, Manatee county line and flows southwest and then southeast through Manatee, Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota and Cha ...

in Sarasota, Manatee, and Sarasota counties *

Myakka State Forest The Myakka State Forest is in the U.S. state of Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwe ...

in Sarasota County * Panasoffkee Outlet in Sumter County *

Potts Preserve Potts Preserve is an property protected by the Southwest Florida Water Management District in Inverness, Florida Inverness is a city and the county seat of Citrus County, Florida, United States. It is near the Flying Eagle Preserve. As of ...

in Citrus County * Prairie/ Shell Creek in Charlotte County *

RV Griffin Reserve RV Griffin Reserve is located in DeSoto County, Florida, United States, 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 The So ...

in DeSoto County *

Sawgrass Lake Park Sawgrass may refer to: * Saw grass, a common name of some species of plants in the genus ''Cladium'' *Sawgrass, Florida, a town in the United States * Sawgrass Country Club, a private golf and tennis club located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida * S ...

in Pinellas County * Schultz Preserve in Hillsborough County *

Starkey Wilderness Preserve Starkey Wilderness Preserve is a public recreation and nature conservation area located in Pasco County, Florida. The park includes a system of hiking, bicycling, and equestrian trails, cabins and primitive camping sites, and picnic areas. It is ...

, Serenova Tract and Anclote River Ranch Tract in Pasco County *

Tampa Bypass Canal The 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. Its purpose is to r ...

in Hillsborough County * Terra Ceia Preserve in Manatee County * Two Mile Prairie in Citrus County *

Upper Hillsborough Preserve Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...

in Pasco and Polk counties * Weeki Wachee Preserve in Hernando County *

Withlacoochee River Park Withlacoochee River Park is located in Pasco County, in the U.S. state of 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 watc ...

in Pasco County * Wysong Park in Sumter County

References

External links

*
Water Management Districts
at Florida Department of Environmental Protection {{authority control Water management authorities in the United States State agencies of Florida Water in Florida 1961 establishments in Florida Government agencies established in 1961 Organizations based in Hernando County, Florida Brooksville, Florida

Area of jurisdiction

Administration and funding

Public recreation areas

See also

References

External links