Watershed Improvement District

• Flooding?
• The destruction of precious natural resources like water, soil and trees?
• Soil erosion and keeping pollution out of our water?
• Smart and Sustainable Growth?
• Safe beaches and lakes to swim in?
• Environmental needs being met according to your priorities?
• Water Quality?
• The safety of the fish you eat from Salt and Fresh water?
• Automotive pollution?
• Keeping heavy metals and pesticides that kill aquatic organisms and contaminate sediment from entering your water supplies?
• Reducing organic contamination from litter, yard trash, sludge, garbage from dumpsters and garbage cans and pet waste?
• Reducing the amount of runoff from pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers coming from lawn, gardens and golf courses and get into the water supply?
• Other Environmental concerns?

Broward Soil and Water Conservation District (BSWCD) proposes the creation of Broward Watershed Improvement Districts, per Chapter 582 of the Florida Statutes, consisting also of WID Sub Districts that are now Special Districts and are presently providing Water Control and Drainage type services in Broward County.  BSWCD will provide technical assistance to the WID and its Sub Districts

Each WID Sub District will remain independent and their present authorities will be broadened to include the provisions of Chapter 582.331.  The Sub Districts will operate under their present political jurisdictional boundaries and be operated by their locally elected officials.

One of the purposes of this effort is to increase the coordination, cooperation, collaboration and communication between the WID and WID Sub Districts per FS Ch 582 for the People of Broward County.  The reason we need WID is because we need environmental checks and balances in Broward County.

Benefits of a Watershed Improvement District:

• Reduce soil erosion
• Prevent and / or reduce flooding
• Reduce automotive and lawn equipment oil and grease leaking onto paved areas or improper disposal of used oil and other products into storm drains.
• Reduce water runoff of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers from lawns, gardens, farms and golf courses.
• Conserve, develop, and utilize soil and water resources.
• Preserve land and aquatic wildlife habitat.
• Address numerous causes of water pollution.
• Conserve water and reduce pollution through more efficient use of irrigation systems.
• Keep pollutants out of the water from flooding and improper disposal methods.
• Use Best Management Practices.
• Reduce sewage, garbage and litter that gets into the water and reduces oxygen levels which kill aquatic life.
• Reduce sediments from soil erosion that clogs fish gills and shellfish filtering systems thus cutting off their oxygen supply.
• Creating user friendly disposal systems for the disposal of used oil and other products that contaminate the water.
• Provide Environmental Education on the proper use of garden and lawn chemicals because excessive fertilizers and chemicals wash off your property and get into the surface and ground water, causing contamination.
• Provide irrigation system analysis for residential, commercial or agricultural properties that have an irrigation system through the use of the Mobile Irrigation Lab.