GROUNDWATER SUPPLY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES IN A CARBONATE AQUIFER SYSTEM

A groundwater supply and management plan was developed for the SRWMD, a water management district which consists of all or part of 15 counties in north-central Florida. More than 98% of the consumptively-used water in the District is supplied from the Floridan aquifer system. The District is facing a number of challenges in continuing to use the Floridan as their sole source of water supplies, including: a limited groundwater recharge area, maintaining spring and streamflows to support environmental flows and public uses, groundwater resources which are vulnerable to agricultural pollution, and increasing demands for groundwater from competing nearby groundwater users. Population and water demand modeling, an analysis of groundwater level and surface water flow trends, an analysis of potential alternative water supplies and water conservation strategies, a regional groundwater flow model, and other analyses were prepared in support of the plan. Strategies were developed to assist the District in charting a sustainable path toward water resource management.