An Environmental Resource Permit is required for new development or construction activities to prevent flooding, protect the water quality of Florida's lakes and streams from stormwater pollution, and protect wetlands and other surface waters. The South Florida Water Management District regulates residential and commercial developments, while the Florida Department of Environmental Protection oversees power plants, wastewater treatment plants and single-family home projects.
This type of permit is needed for:
Dredging and filling in wetlands
Constructing flood protection facilities
Providing storm water containment and treatment
Site grading
Building dams or reservoirs
Other activities affecting state waters
There are three types of ERP's: noticed general, standard and individual. Noticed general permits and standard permits are authorized by District staff. Individual permits are issued by the District's Executive Director. See chapters 40E-0, 40E-1, 40E-4, 40E-40, 40E-41 and 40E-400, F.A.C.; and the ERP Basis of Review for a complete discussion of ERP's.
In reviewing your application, we are required to weigh whether the proposed activity will, among other things:
Cause adverse flooding to on-site or off-site property
Cause adverse water quality and quantity impacts
Cause adverse impacts to wetlands, fish or wildlife
Adversely affect public health, safety and welfare
Impair navigation or surface water flows
Adversely affect nearby fishing or recreational uses
If your proposed activities would impact wetlands, you will be asked to compensate for those impacts by preserving or constructing new wetlands either on your property or at an appropriate off-site mitigation location. Monitoring of constructed wetlands is required to ensure their survival and ability to replicate functions of natural wetlands. (see Section 4.0 of the ERP Basis of Review)
Environmental Resource Permit Compliance
The South Florida Water Management District is mandated by provisions of Chapter 373, F.S. to provide periodic compliance inspections for Environmental Resource Permits (ERPs). The Legislative intent is to ensure conformity with the approved plans and specifications and to protect the public health and safety, and the natural resources of the state.
The Environmental Resource Compliance (ERC) Bureau is tasked with providing compliance and enforcement services relating to both permitted and non-permitted projects. Some of the services provided include:
Pre-construction meetings
Construction inspections of permitted projects
Review of Construction Completion Certifications
Environmental mitigation and monitoring
Investigation and resolution of public complaints
Surveillance for unpermitted works
Enforcement actions including documentation, notification and resolution
If a proposed activity involves work in adjacent water bodies (e.g., Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Okeechobee), SFWMD will generally request a title determination from the State of Florida about claim to the submerged lands.
If the State claims title to the submerged lands, the District will also process any required authorizations from the State of Florida for use of the submerged lands. These authorizations can include consents of use, easements and leases; and must be processed concurrently with the ERP application. (See sections 253.77, 373.422 and 373.427, F.S.; and Chapter 18-21, F.A.C.)
SFWMD Headquarters Building B-1 3301 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Phone: (561) 682-6736 or Okeechobee Service Center 205 North Parrott Avenue Suite 201 Okeechobee, FL 34972 Phone: (863) 462-5260 Fax: (863) 462-5269
SFWMD Headquarters Building B-1 3301 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Phone: (561) 682-6736 or Okeechobee Service Center 205 North Parrott Avenue Suite 201 Okeechobee, FL 34972 Phone: (863) 462-5260 Fax: (863) 462-5269
Monthly Regulatory Meetings
Changes in the Permit Review Process
A 2009 amendment to Chapter 373 of the Florida Statutes delegates to executive directors at the state's five water management districts the authority to approve permit applications related to water resources and the environment. To ensure continuing public involvement, the South Florida Water Management District is strengthening its commitment to transparency and open government by increasing public access to its permitting process via Monthly Regulatory Meetings held for the public.
Public Meetings All meetings are at SFWMD Headquarters in the Storch Room
If you wish to participate in Public Meetings to discuss Regulatory Matters but cannot attend them in West Palm Beach, you can interact and provide comments during video-conferences at these service centers.
Meetings will also be webcast. You may also send comments to the District about applications for Consumptive Use Permits and Environmental Resource Permits through ePermitting.
Written comments can be mailed to: South Florida Water Management District Regulation - MSC 9610 3301 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406
The WORD versions of these forms are locked to maintain the integrity of the official document. PDF versions of the forms are also included.
To use the WORD forms, follow these steps:
Save "word format" documents to your hard drive by RIGHT CLICKING on the document and choosing "SAVE TARGET AS."
When the document opens, it should prompt you to disable or enable macros. Choose "Disable Macros".
If you do not see the prompt described above, you may want to change your Macro Security Settings by clicking on: Tools, Macros, Security; then set it to low.
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