Moving water to meet varying conditions and needs is essential to sustaining South Florida’s people, economy and our environment.

Did You Know: The South Florida Water Management District (District) actively operates and maintains the world’s largest water management system.

An Interconnected System: This multi-purpose water management system connects to secondary drainage districts comprised of smaller neighborhood systems to effectively manage and safeguard South Florida’s water resources and provide flood control for over 9 million South Floridians.

By The Numbers: The District’s Operations and Maintenance staff oversee approximately 2,175 miles of canals, 2,130 miles of levees/berms, 98 pump stations, 620 project culverts and 936 water control structures.

A Closer Look: From canals and reservoirs to stormwater treatment areas and spillways, we encourage you to learn more about the District’s water management infrastructure:

• Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs): Large, constructed wetlands designed to remove nutrient pollution from water using natural aquatic plants.

• Reservoirs and Impoundments: Human-made water bodies used for water storage above or below ground. A Flow Equalization Basin (FEB) is a type of impoundment designed to temporarily capture and hold water.
• Weirs: Structures across a canal or stream that block the flow of water until the water flows over the structure.
• Pumps: Mechanical control structures that force movement of water.
• Spillways: Structures that allow movement of water between water bodies by use of gates.
• Dikes and Levees: A barrier that diverts or restrains the flow of water. The large earthworks that surround Lake Okeechobee are generally referred to as dikes, whereas the smaller earthworks surrounding canals and Water Conservation Areas are generally called levees.
• Culverts: Structures that allow the flow of water between two areas. They are typically placed under roads or levees.
• Canals: A system of human-made trenches used for the movement of water.
• Ditch (dry): A narrow channel dug in the ground, typically used for drainage alongside a road or the edge of a field. Ditches are typically dry except during rain events.

Continued Progress: The District maintains this infrastructure year-round to support ecosystem restoration efforts, provide water to South Florida’s communities and help keep communities dry. This system continues to expand as major ecosystem restoration, flood control and other water infrastructure projects are completed.

To learn more about the regional water management system, please visit SFWMD.gov/FloodControl.