Few who move to Florida really understand how important water is to our state. Not just for recreation but because we are a peninsula and a very shallow one at that. The control and movement of water are so essential that special water districts were formed by the government. They are special taxing authorities. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has the responsibility in our area. Here is an explanation. Please let us know your thoughts at mctaxpayers1950@gmail.com.
South Florida Water Management District
Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget Overview
The South Florida Water Management District (District) has released their preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026-27. The District’s mission is to safeguard and restore South Florida’s water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region’s water needs while connecting with the public and stakeholders. To accomplish this the District implements the following core programs:
Water Resource Management – focusing on flood control, water quality, ecosystem restoration, and water supply across multiple basins.
Everglades Restoration – focusing on restoring water flow, quality and ecosystem health throughout South Florida.
Water Quality and Ecosystem Management – targeting phosphorus reduction, habitat restoration, and invasive species control.
Infrastructure and Land Projects – including completed and ongoing stormwater treatment areas, water storage and land acquisition.
Water Supply and Monitoring – developing water supply plans, updated models and managing groundwater resources.
Operation & Maintenance- including habitat restoration, land management and infrastructure maintenance and construction associated with managing 2,175 miles of canals, 98 pumping stations, and extensive water control structures.
According to the budget, the District will continue focusing on mission critical areas, Everglades restoration, completing District projects, including Alternative Water Supply (AWS) projects, and funding capital investment in the region. The Fiscal Year 2026-27
Preliminary Budget is $1,052,580,022 compared to $1,342,098,977 for the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget, a decrease of $289,518,955. The reduction primarily reflects the absence of one-time state appropriations, decreased use of fund balance for critical flood control infrastructure projects, and lower federal grant funding for land management activities.
The District’s largest revenue sources are state sources of $472,224,090, ad valorem property taxes of $417,745,681 and fund balance of $74,583,179. The Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget includes $417,745,681 in ad valorem property tax revenue.
This estimated ad valorem revenue is 39.7 percent of the total projected revenue sources, compared to $396,719,545 (29.6 percent) of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget. Total anticipated state sources in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget are $472,224,090 (44.9 percent) and the total estimated federal sources are $13,672,819 (1.3 percent). In the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget, the total state sources are $768,773,309 (57.3 percent) and the federal sources are $15,356,481 (1.1 percent). The revenue sources that make up the remaining portion of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget are agricultural privilege taxes, permit fees, local revenues, and other sources for $74,280,623 which represents 7.1 percent of the total budget, compared to the $70,865,377 or 5.3 percent of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget for the same revenue sources. Fund balance of $74,583,179 makes up 7.1 percent of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget compared to $90,384,265 in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget which represents 6.7 percent.
Grant revenues from state, federal, and local sources are adjusted based on grant terms and projected future awards.
General revenues of $9.0 million in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget decreased by $293.4 million (97.0 percent) from the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget. The decrease is due to one-time state appropriations for Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), NEEPP and Expanded Monitoring. Included in this category is SA1771 of $9 million for Alternative Water Supply.
Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) revenue of $361.2 million in the Fiscal Year 2026- 27 Preliminary Budget decreased $16.9 million (4.5 percent) from the Fiscal Year 2025- 26 Adopted Budget. The decrease is due to one-time state appropriations for Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), and NEEPP. Included in recurring LATF are $264.0 million for CERP/CEPP EAA Reservoir, $50.0 million for Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project, $39.9 million for Dispersed Water Management, $5.0 million for Dispersed Water Management and $2.4 million for land management. Other state revenue of $102.0 million in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget increased by $13.7 million (15.5 percent) from the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget.
The increase is due primarily to the addition of or changes in grant awards from DEP for various projects. The Other State revenue category includes anticipated state revenues, including potential grants, such as $44.0 million to cover Resiliency, DEP $9.5 million Water quality grant, and $1.0 million Land Stewardship grant applications, a $38.0 million grant award from FWC for Bond Farm Hydrologic Enhancement, $7.0 million from FWC for vegetation management, $750,000 from FDACS for prescribed burns, and $263,000 of License Tag revenue for Everglades and Indian River Lagoon.
Federal revenues of $13.7 million in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Preliminary Budget decreased by $1.7 million (11.0 percent) from the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Budget. This is due primarily to a decrease of $1.4 million in funds to be reimbursed by the USACE for Operation, Maintenance, Repair, Replacement and Rehabilitation (OMRR&R) Costs related to completed CERP and foundation projects for a total of $9.2 million. In addition, there was removal of a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Allapattah Grant for $0.3 million. Included in Federal Revenues is $3.5 million Loxahatchee Refuge Grant and $1.0 million for United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Invasive Plant Management Grant.
The final budget will be approved in September.
