In this section

Five-year land acquisition plan map

View a map of proposed land purchases.

Less-than-fee acquisition

Read an overview of this program to bring property into public ownership.

Land acquisition application

If you have property that you’d like the District to consider purchasing, please download, fill out and return the land acquisition form to the District’s Bureau of Real Estate Services. Either mail to the address on the form or email to RealEstateServices@sjrwmd.com.

An overview of land acquisition
Why the District has purchased land

When the St. Johns River Water Management District has purchased land, the benefits are far-reaching for the public and the environment.

The District’s main goal of buying land has been to protect water resources. In addition, these lands protect plant and wildlife habitat and provide areas for public recreation and environmental education.

Virtually all District property is open to the public for activities that are compatible with conservation. A few areas of District lands are closed because of ongoing construction or restoration projects.

The District has selected land for purchase based on the potential for preserving, restoring, enhancing or developing water resources in the District’s 18-county region. The District has looked for priority lands providing water resources protection such as floodplains, sensitive wetlands and groundwater recharge areas.

Over the years, most of the funding for land purchases has come from Florida’s Save Our Rivers and Preservation 2000 programs established by the Legislature. In the most recent decade, beginning in 2000, land has been purchased through the Florida Forever program, which has also funded environmental restoration and water resource development.

The District actively pursues partnerships with other state agencies, local governments and nonprofit organizations. In fact, most of the District’s lands have been either purchased in cooperation with, or are being managed in cooperation with, other groups. The District encourages visitors to take advantage of environmental education and recreational opportunities on these lands.