Moving water to meet varying conditions and needs is essential to sustaining South Florida's people, economy and our environment.
DID YOU KNOW: The South Florida Water Management District actively maintains and operates the regional water management system of canals, levees and water control structures.
This vast regional system connects to secondary drainage districts comprised of smaller neighborhood systems to effectively manage and protect South Florida’s water resources.
EFFECTIVELY MANAGING WATER YEAR-ROUND: Flood control is a key component of the District’s public service mission. Every day, the District’s team oversees more than 2,300 miles of canals, 2,200 miles of levees/berms, 98 pump stations, 620 project culverts, and more than 936 water control structures.
On average, this regional flood control system moves more than 20 million acre-feet of water each year.
KNOW THE FLOW: From canals and reservoirs to stormwater treatment areas and spillways, we encourage you to learn more about the District's water management infrastructure:
- Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs): Large, constructed wetlands designed to remove nutrient pollution from water using natural aquatic plants.
- Reservoirs, FEBs and Wells: Human-made water bodies used for water storage. These include traditional above ground reservoirs, Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells used to store water below ground, and Flow Equalization Basins (FEBs) designed to temporarily capture and hold peak water flows.
- Weirs: Structures across a canal or stream that block the flow of water until the water flows over the structure.
- Pumps: Mechanical control structures that force movement of water.
- Spillways: Structures that allow movement of water between water bodies by use of gates.
- Dikes and Levees: A barrier that diverts or restrains the flow of water. The large earthworks that surround Lake Okeechobee are generally referred to as dikes, whereas the smaller earthworks surrounding canals and Water Conservation Areas are generally called levees.
- Culverts: Structures that allow the flow of water between two areas. They are typically placed under roads or levees.
- Canals: A system of human-made trenches used for the movement of water.
- Baffle Box: An underground stormwater management device that uses barriers (or baffles) to slow the flow of water, allowing sediment to settle before water is released.
- Ditch (dry): A narrow channel dug in the ground, typically used for drainage alongside a road or the edge of a field. Ditches are typically dry except during rain events.
PREPARING YEAR-ROUND: The District's engineers, meteorologists and water managers monitor weather conditions and water levels 24 hours a day. They use this data to determine optimal operation of water control structures throughout the regional system in times of heavy rain, during dry periods — and all year long.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: The District uses cutting-edge technology to assess the status of its water management infrastructure, prioritize long-term needs, and develop adaptation strategies to help ensure the resiliency of the regional flood control and water management system.
LEARN MORE: We encourage you to visit SFWMD.gov/FloodControl to learn more about the regional water management system and flood control in your community.