In September, the South Florida Water Management District celebrated the completion of the Partin Family Ranch Project, a dispersed water management (DWM) initiative in Osceola County. DWM projects are a way to work with nature to store and clean water. Instead of building big reservoirs or treatment plants, DWM uses existing lands—like farms, ranches, or wetlands—to temporarily hold water during rainy seasons, allowing water to slowly seep into the ground, filtering out pollution and replenishing aquifers while also creating wildlife habitat. 

This 3,000-acre public-private partnership will play a vital role in preventing nutrient-laden runoff from entering Lake Okeechobee. This project will hold 3,100 acre-feet of water. By storing water before it reaches the lake, the project aims to reduce harmful high-water levels while reducing pollutants that threaten this precious ecosystem and the northern estuaries with algal blooms. The goal of this project is to remove 800 pounds of nitrogen and 1,100 pounds of phosphorus by capturing one billion gallons of rainwater and runoff annually.

As central Florida experiences rapid growth, the demand for potable water continues to rise, and DWM can significantly contribute to meeting this need. Furthermore, these projects enhance storm protection and bolster regional resilience. Currently, the region’s watersheds are not meeting the water quality or storage objectives, and DWM offers a promising solution for both problems. Landowners gain a new income stream by helping distribute water more evenly across the landscape. DWM initiatives can restore natural hydrological patterns essential for the health of wetlands and upland habitats, reduce flows of nutrientenriched runoff, and provide a variety of ecosystem benefits. 

As central Florida experiences rapid growth, the demand for potable water continues to rise, and DWM can significantly contribute to meeting this need. Furthermore, these projects enhance storm protection and bolster regional resilience. Currently, the region’s watersheds are not meeting the water quality or storage objectives, and DWM offers a promising solution for both problems. Landowners gain a new income stream by helping distribute water more evenly across the landscape. DWM initiatives can restore natural hydrological patterns essential for the health of wetlands and upland habitats, reduce flows of nutrientenriched runoff, and provide a variety of ecosystem benefits. 

First published in the Fall 2024 State of the Everglades report.