Land Acquisition

Introduction

The District’s Division of Asset Management is committed to protecting and preserving the water resources of northwest Florida. To date, more than 223,555 acres have been protected for water resource purposes through the District’s land acquisition efforts either in fee simple (all land ownership rights with no encumbrances) or through less than fee (conservation easements).

Objective

The goal of all District land acquisitions is to preserve water resources and related land for water quality management, water supply and conservation, as well as to restore, enhance or conserve the lands’ natural, aesthetic, recreational or hydrologic values. Once these lands are acquired, it is the District’s responsibility to restore, manage and maintain them in an environmentally acceptable manner.

Public Recreation and Environmental Education

Of particular importance to residents and visitors of Northwest Florida is that all of District-owned land, except conservation easements, is available to the general public for a wide variety of resource-based recreational purposes, while also achieving the District’s primary acquisition purpose—protecting water resources.

District Land (by Area)

Area	Total Acres in Fee
Choctawhatchee River and Holmes Creek (including Lafayette Creek)	60,831.43
Econfina Creek (including Sand Hill Lakes Mitigation Bank)	41,532.31
Apalachicola River	36,822.70
Escambia River	35,412.72
Yellow River	16,552.83
Chipola River	9,093.73
Perdido River	6,261.22
Garcon Point	3,245
West Bay	719.30
Elinor Klapps-Phipps Park	539.08
Blackwater River	380.5
St. Marks/Wakulla Rivers	131.49

2024 Florida Forever Land Acquisition Work Plan

Note to Landowners:

The District’s Five-Year Plan identifies District areas that are available for purchase, subject to available funding and the presence of willing sellers. If your property is included in any of our acquisition areas or maps and you do not wish to sell your land to the District, we will remove your property from the acquisition plan at the earliest opportunity. Please contact Carol Bert with the Division of Land Acquisition at (850) 539-5999 or carol.bert@nwfwater.com if you wish to remove your property from possible consideration for purchase. The District will maintain a list of such requests and annually adjust its acquisition plan accordingly.