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Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Water Resource
Protection Programs
Florida is rich with fresh and marine water. In addition to its
abundant surface water resources, Florida also sits atop the most
plentiful freshwater aquifers in the United States, which supply water
to hundreds of springs and provide the base flow for many of Florida’s
rivers and streams. The state's surface and ground water resources are
intimately connected and support our drinking water supplies,
agriculture, industry, wildlife habitat, and a thriving recreation-based
economy.
Because of the vastness and complexity of Florida's water resources,
the Department has organized its responsibilities into four primary
areas:
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Program Area |
Responsibility |
Water Policy and Ecosystems
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- Office of Water Policy oversees Florida’s
five regional water management districts as they
implement water supply and water quality protection
programs.
- Office
of Ecosystem Projects implements the Department’s
technical, planning, and regulatory responsibilities for
restoration of the unique South Florida ecosystem, including
the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee.
- Office of
Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas manages more than four
million of Florida’s most valuable submerged lands and
coastal uplands, including 41 aquatic preserves and,
cooperatively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, three National Estuarine Research Reserves
and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
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Water Quality
Assessment
and Restoration
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Environmental Assessment and Restoration
implements a comprehensive suite of activities, including the
establishment of water quality standards, water quality
monitoring, determining which waterbodies do not meet standards,
and working with local stakeholders to restore them to health
based on scientifically-derived restoration targets. It is
organized into the following major programs:
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Permitting, Compliance
and Enforcement
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Water Resource Management regulates coastal
construction, mining and minerals extraction, wastewater and
stormwater management facilities, public drinking water systems,
and activities that alter the flow of surface waters, including
wetlands. It is organized into the following major regulatory
programs:
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The Department’s water
programs also provide several hundred million dollars each year
in loans and grants, primarily to local governments, for the
construction of water infrastructure and implementation of urban
and agricultural best management practices to restore and
protect water resources. See our financial assistance webpage to
determine what opportunities might be right for your project.
Florida's Water Management Districts
(WMDs) also offer financial assistance for certain
kinds of projects and activities:
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2012 State of Florida