Highlights of Water Management in the Southwest Florida Water Management District
Authors: Parker Garald G. 
Published: July 2006

The District, comprising 15 counties and nearly 10,000 square miles in central western Florida centering on the Tampa‐St. Petersburg metropolitan area, is one of the nation's most rapidly growing areas. Water‐budget analyses compared with expected water demands for water by the burgeoning population indicate that by about 1985, if the present population growth rates and water‐use demands persist, we will be using as much water as nature supplies us with on the long‐term average annual basis, for once‐only uses. After that, to supply the water needed, we will either “mine” water on a District‐wide scale or bring about other remedies. Among these are, without attempting to list them in order of priorities:

Reuse water again and again by cleaning it up and recharging the aquifers with both high‐grade sewage effluent either by land‐spreading or by injection through recharge wells into the aquifers.

Engage in desalination of the almost limitless quantities of brackish ground water, especially in the coastal areas where salt‐water encroachment is occurring on a large scale.

Induce aquifer recharge by creating storage space in the aquifers in areas that are currently full to overflowing. In such areas precipitation is now largely rejected as recharge and ground‐water seepage is lost to evapotranspiration.

Effect economies of water use by both industry and agriculture—by far the largest users of water in our District—by regulation of amounts that may be used for irrigation and for various other industrial and agricultural processes.

Divert flood waters from direct runoff to the oceans to temporary flood detention areas from which water can be drawn off to aquifer recharge facilities.

By permit processes regulate the amounts of water that can be withdrawn for any purpose from either ground‐or surface‐water sources in the District thus preventing overdraft and resultant lowered water levels and, in some areas additional salt‐water encroachment.

Eliminate waste of water, particularly the existing large losses from thousands of existing wild‐flowing artesian wells.

Develop new, large well fields upgradient from the large coastal springs that now are discharging along our Gulf Coast, a total of about 900 mgd, none of which is now used for water supply.

Space new well fields for regional water‐supply purposes widely over the District and arrange for organization of regional water‐distribution and use systems.

As soon as feasible engage in rainmaking to augment nature's normal precipitation.

Under nature's irrigation supply‐demand pattern and man's previously unmanaged and all‐too‐often wasteful usage growing beyond all previous expectations, the water supply and the flood‐and‐drought situation have become impossible to live with. But with proper management of our water and land resources the tide can be changed, and it will be possible to live comfortably within our available resources. It will cost us more but the increased cost is the price we must pay to live in an area where demands on the water resources are rapidly outgrowing nature's provisions.