St. Johns River Water Management District

The St. Johns River Water Management District is a state of Florida environmental regulatory agency established in 1972. It is one of five regional water management districts created that year by the Florida Legislature. Its remit covers 18 counties in northeast and east-central Florida - an area of 12,283 square miles, or some 7.8 million acres - within the St. Johns River basin. The district's statutory focus is on securing a long-term supply of drinking water and on protecting and restoring the health of water bodies above and below ground.

Work is organised across a range of technical disciplines. Staff include hydrologists, biologists, geologists, environmental scientists, engineers and planners, alongside land managers, laboratory technicians, financial officers and information technology specialists. The district conducts research and data collection on water resources, sets rules governing water use, restores and protects water bodies and preserves natural areas, and runs public education on water conservation. It works closely with utilities on water supply questions but is not itself a water supplier.

Its stated operating principle is to balance the water needs of people with those of nature. The district's activities span water resources management, environmental regulation, conservation and drinking water supply planning across its northeast and east-central Florida service area.