As a resident living within the 18-county region of the St. Johns River Water Management District, you may have seen the results of our work near you.
Our regulatory staff work diligently to protect water resources as part of our mandate to ensure sustainable use of Florida’s water for people and nature. District hydrologists review applications like those requested by utilities that seek to use large volumes of water, known as consumptive use permits, or CUPs, and conduct site inspections to ensure that water users meet permitting criteria. Engineers and scientists also review applications submitted for construction or development, known as environmental resource permits, or ERPs — permits that focus on protecting water resources during construction.
Water use permit applications must include a water conservation plan that provides measures to reduce water use and preserve water resources for other beneficial uses. In addition, applicants must investigate and use the lowest acceptable quality source of water. For example, golf courses and developed communities that use large volumes of water for landscape irrigation are required to use reclaimed water or stormwater when available instead of higher-quality potable (drinking quality) groundwater when it is feasible.
Construction/ERPs permits ensure that construction activities will not harm water quality, water quantity or wetlands. You may have seen cloth barriers in construction areas. These barriers are intended to keep sediments and debris on the construction site instead of flowing to waterways in wind or stormwater.
The following links allow you to search permit applications, reach contacts and provide an overview of our work.
- See our interactive map dashboard to find permits near you
- Search our permitting portal for a permit
- See or sign up for permit application notices
- Find information on our agricultural assistance team
- Learn about conservation easements
- How to reduce wildfire risk in regulatory conservation easements
- Permitting contacts