What Florida's Soil and Water Conservation Districts Are
Florida has 58 soil and water conservation districts, or SWCDs, according to the UF/IFAS handbook Florida Soil and Water Conservation Districts (revised August 2025). They were established in 1937 under Chapter 582 of the Florida Statutes, part of the national conservation district system that grew out of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Each district is self-governed by a board of locally elected supervisors, and the Legislature created them to give landowners, land occupiers, the agricultural industry and the public help, guidance and education on using soil and water efficiently.
Who Sits on the Board
Under section 582.18 of the Florida Statutes (2022 version), each district has five supervisors, one elected from each of five numbered subdivisions created by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Key points:
- The office is nonpartisan, and candidates may not qualify or campaign by party.
- Elections are held at the general election, and all qualified electors in the district may vote.
- Winners take office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January.
- Candidates qualify as directed by Chapter 99, and those who raise or spend campaign money follow Chapter 106.
- Remaining supervisors fill a vacancy by appointment until the next regular election.
The UF/IFAS handbook says supervisors serve four-year terms. For a new district, the statute staggers the first terms: subdivisions 1, 3 and 5 get four-year terms and subdivisions 2 and 4 get initial two-year terms, so about half the board is on the ballot every two years. Because the statute text above is the 2022 version, check the current Chapter 582 for any later changes before you run.
What Supervisors Do
Per the handbook, supervisors conduct soil and water studies, surveys and research, and run conservation, protection and restoration projects, including agricultural best management practice (BMP) demonstrations under section 582.20. Districts also:
- Teach BMPs and do outreach to landowners and the public.
- Help develop erosion control and flood prevention plans.
- Help protect natural resources during construction.
- Act as liaisons between landowners and state, federal and local agencies.
Under the state's Soil Conservation Act, districts can identify areas needing conservation measures and adopt land-use rules, such as requirements for contour cultivation, strip cropping or erosion-preventing vegetation. They cannot enforce those rules.
Help for Landowners and Producers
The most practical reason to know your district is cost share. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services works with USDA NRCS, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, water management districts and SWCDs to fund producers who put best management practices on the ground, prioritizing projects that benefit water resources most, per the Hillsborough SWCD cost share page. The practices named are:
- Nutrient management, including manure application
- Irrigation management, covering method and scheduling
- Water resource protection with buffers, setbacks and swales
The page lists these enrollment steps:
- Request free on-farm technical assistance from the FDACS Office of Agricultural Water Policy at (863) 467-3250.
- Identify the BMPs that apply to your operation and document them on a Notice of Intent and BMP Checklist.
- Submit the Notice of Intent during the enrollment site visit.
- Put the BMPs in place within 18 months, though extensions may be granted for projects needing engineering, permitting or construction.
Funding comes from state and federal cost-share programs, and the pages do not state percentages or dollar amounts, so ask before you plan a budget around them.
Examples of Local Services
Districts differ in what they offer. The Jackson SWCD lists a Mobile Irrigation Lab that provides free, site-specific irrigation analysis, recommends improvements to existing systems and educates owners on water conservation. Its office number is (850) 372-4793. The Hillsborough SWCD office is at 4503 Coronet Rd, Plant City, and its number is (813) 707-1652.
Working with NRCS
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service works with SWCD boards on programs such as the Conservation Technical Assistance Program. NRCS measures are voluntary. Districts also partner with FDACS. Two nonprofit groups, the Association of Florida Conservation Districts and the National Association of Conservation Districts, coordinate districts and represent them to state and federal agencies.
How to Find and Use Your District
- Search for your county's soil and water conservation district name. Many districts post their own pages, as Jackson and Hillsborough do.
- Call the number listed and ask about BMP enrollment, mobile irrigation lab visits and board meetings.
- Bring a map or parcel number of the land, a description of the problem (erosion, drainage, runoff) and your irrigation setup.
- If you want to serve, watch your county elections office for the qualifying period for the nonpartisan supervisor seats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many districts does Florida have?
58, according to the UF/IFAS handbook revised in August 2025.
Are supervisors paid or partisan?
The office is nonpartisan by statute. The sources reviewed here do not say what supervisors are paid, so ask your district.
Can a district force me to change how I farm?
No. Districts can adopt land-use rules but cannot enforce them, and NRCS conservation measures are voluntary.
Does cost share cover everything?
Not necessarily. The pages reviewed do not state percentages, so ask the FDACS Office of Agricultural Water Policy at (863) 467-3250 about current availability.
For the full background on how districts are organized, read the UF/IFAS handbook FE1017.
Florida Listings Covered by This Guide
- Bradford Soil and Water Conservation District
Soil and water conservation district based in Starke that links Bradford County landowners with state conservation resources.
14167 SW 101st Ave, Starke, FL 32091 Website - Gilchrist Soil and Water Conservation District
Elected five-member board that has promoted soil and water conservation in Gilchrist County since 1946, offering technical help on local natural resource problems.
729 East Wade Street, Trenton, FL 32693 | (352) 317-0504 - Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District
District serving all of Highlands County on natural resource conservation and stewardship, with programs that reach across Florida.
4505 George Blvd, Sebring, FL 33875 | 863-402-7020 - Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District
Marianna-area conservation district that hosts livestock and cattle events at the Jackson County Agriculture offices, including the Panhandle Youth Expo and the Northwest Florida Beef Cattle Conference trade show.
Marianna, FL Website - Marion Soil and Water Conservation District
Founded in 1941 as the Oklawaha district and renamed in 1969, run by five unpaid elected supervisors who work in agriculture.
2710 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, FL 34470 | (352) 438-2475 - Suwannee County Conservation District
Organized in 1942, this district helps producers apply best management practices and protect groundwater and wetlands in Suwannee County and nearby counties.
1525-B Ohio Avenue South, Live Oak, FL 32064 | (386) 362-2622 - Wakulla Soil and Water Conservation District
Local district created in 1950 that works with NRCS on Farm Bill assistance, irrigation planning, soil surveys, youth education and invasive plant control.
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Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.