Water resource protection: Strategic Planning Basins

The St. Johns River Water Management District’s basin management and coordination process encompasses research, science, data and modeling, and stakeholder input to evaluate the state of our region’s water resources and to develop the projects necessary to address challenges. We do this work through our Strategic Planning Basins program, with staff working collaboratively across our organizational structure to find and implement solutions within each unique planning basin.

Our work process flows from continually assessing the condition of water resources, to strategically planning and prioritizing work, to developing projects to benefit local communities as well as those that have regional benefits, to writing work plans then implementing projects. While the District has a wealth of data that provides the scientific basis to drive its restoration and protection work, continued assessments are conducted to ensure solutions can be founded on the latest data as resource conditions change over time.

Our focus is on moving projects forward to address challenges by prioritizing the environmental needs, developing projects to address the needs, identifying any additional data and research needed, and identifying resilience needs and critical wetlands to protect.

All of our Strategic Planning Basins have the following tasks/focus areas in common:

• Data collection and monitoring
• Floodplain preservation and restoration
• Preservation of wildlife corridors and critical wetlands
• Opportunities for public recreation on District lands
• Artesian well abandonment
• Water conservation
• Alternative water supply and water resource development projects
• Reductions in nutrient loading and harmful algal blooms
• Restoration of submerged aquatic vegetation
• Continued implementation of regulatory programs