The region had a population base of 520,000 in 1990. By 2010, the population is expected to reach nearly one million people, a 90% increase! This area is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the state, and that growth results in increased demand for water supply and adequate flood protection.
The mission of the Lower West Coast Regional Service Center is to provide a local community perspective in the development of District water resource policies and implementation of water resources management initiatives in the Lee, Hendry and Charlotte County region.
Within the Lower West Coast Regional Service Center are distinct hydrologic basins including all or parts of the Charlotte Harbor Basin, Caloosahatchee Basin and the Estero Basin.
The Service Center coordinates the resolution of water resource issues with jurisdictional governments, agencies and affected communities; implements District-wide and local/regional water resource initiatives; and communicates the complexities of water resource management to Southwest Florida residents. Additionally, the Service Center is responsible for the review and issuance of permits for Water Use and for Environmental Resource Permitting.
Staff can help with local permitting, share information about projects to restore the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades (K-O-E) ecosystem, and determine the issues and solutions to resource problems in Southwest Florida. District staff are also actively working on projects affecting the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and Estero Bay -- as well as land acquisition and land management throughout the Southwest Florida region.
Big Cypress Basin
Lower West Coast
