The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) operates and maintains the regional water management system of canals, levees and water control structures to help provide flood damage reduction, support our environmental restoration efforts, and meet the region’s water supply needs. This regional system connects to community drainage districts and hundreds of smaller neighborhood systems to effectively manage and protect Central and South Florida’s water resources.
Did you know that flood control in South Florida is a shared responsibility between the SFWMD, county and city governments, local drainage districts, HOAs, and residents? These interconnected systems all work together to move water and support flood control in Central and South Florida.
They include:
- Neighborhood Canals: Community drainage systems store excess water in local lakes, ponds, swales and streets. Excess water slowly drains to community lakes or ponds through street and yard storm drains. Rainwater then flows through underground pipes to local canals.
- Local Canals: Local canals are maintained and operated by cities, counties or local drainage districts and include canals, pump stations and storage areas. These canals receive water from neighborhoods and store excess water or move it to the larger-capacity regional flood control system.
- Regional Canals: The regional canal system is designed to move the most water as quickly and safely as possible. Aided by pump stations, these canals channel excess water into storage or to coastal discharge points. In areas not served by the water management system, natural rivers and other waterways serve as drainage outlets.
Using state-of-the-art technology, SFWMD employees monitor system conditions and the weather around the clock to determine the optimal operation of hundreds of regional control structures located from Orlando to the Florida Keys. Moving water to meet varying conditions and needs is essential to sustaining Central and South Florida's people and our environment.
Learn more about flood control throughout the District’s 16-county region.