Alternative Text Description for SWFMWD Well Construction Permits

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the locations of all well construction sites permitted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMWD) across central and western Florida. The map shows both current and historical well construction permit locations, representing a comprehensive record of permitted well construction activity within the district's jurisdiction. The data encompasses wells permitted throughout the district's operational history.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers a large portion of central and western Florida, extending from Gainesville in the north to Cape Coral and the southwestern coast in the south. Major cities shown include Orlando, Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Lakeland, and Ocala. The coverage area spans from the Atlantic coast near Daytona Beach and Port Orange in the east, across central Florida, to the Gulf of America coastline in the west. The northern boundary extends to areas near Gainesville and Palm Coast, while the southern extent reaches Cape Coral. The eastern edge includes Melbourne Palm Bay and Port St. Lucie, while areas near Naples, Immokalee, and Miami are shown at the southern and southeastern margins.

KEY INSIGHTS

Well construction permits show an extensive concentration throughout the interior region of the district, forming a large, nearly continuous zone of activity. The densest concentration appears in the central region between Orlando, Tampa, Lakeland, and Ocala, where permitted well sites form a broad coverage area. There is notable clustering around major population centers including the Tampa Bay metropolitan area and the Orlando region. A distinct linear pattern of permits extends along the Gulf of America coastline from the Tampa-St. Petersburg area southward through Sarasota and Port Charlotte. The eastern edge of the district shows scattered permit locations forming a boundary pattern that roughly follows the inland areas east of major cities. Areas along the Atlantic coast and the southern tip of the state near Miami show minimal or no permit activity, consistent with being outside or at the edge of the district's jurisdiction.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

SWFMWD Well Construction Permits

This layer represents individual well construction permit locations throughout the Southwest Florida Water Management District's jurisdiction, including both active and historical sites.

Well Construction Permit Locations (bright blue circular points)

Appearance:

The well construction permit locations are displayed as bright blue circular points of uniform size. These points vary from dispersed individual locations to dense clustering where they appear to merge into larger blue areas.

Distribution:

Permit locations are distributed across central and western Florida, with coverage extending from Gainesville southward to Cape Coral and from the Gulf of America coast eastward toward Orlando and the Atlantic coast region. The permits appear throughout the interior of the district with varying density.

Notable locations:

The highest density of permits occurs in the interior region encompassing Ocala, Gainesville, Orlando, Lakeland, and Tampa. Significant concentrations also appear around the Tampa Bay metropolitan area including Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg. Additional clusters are visible near Sarasota, Port Charlotte, and along the central Gulf coast. The area between Orlando and the Atlantic coast shows moderate permit density, while coastal areas near Cape Coral and the southern extent show lower but consistent distribution.

Spatial patterns:

The permits exhibit a core distribution pattern with the highest density in the central interior region, creating an almost continuous blue zone. From this central core, permit density decreases toward the periphery of the district. A linear coastal pattern is evident along the Gulf of America shoreline. The eastern boundary of dense permit activity forms a relatively distinct edge, suggesting the jurisdictional boundary of the water management district. Gaps in coverage correspond to areas outside the district's jurisdiction, including much of south Florida and the Atlantic coastal areas beyond the district's eastern boundary.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a comprehensive inventory of well construction permits issued by the Southwest Florida Water Management District throughout its operational history. The dense concentration of permits reflects both the long history of permit issuance and the importance of groundwater resources in this region of Florida. The map shows permitted locations rather than currently active wells, so the data includes sites that may have been decommissioned or where wells were never actually constructed following permit issuance. The spatial extent of permit locations effectively illustrates the geographic jurisdiction of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Users should note that this is a point-level dataset where each point represents an individual permitted well construction site.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the Southwest Florida Water Management District's permitting records. Historical permit locations were obtained from the district's IBM databases, while more recent permits come from current operational systems. This dataset is maintained for the Open Data Download application for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Data source layer name: SW_WCP_SEP18.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied to this map view. All permitted well construction sites within the dataset are displayed.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale showing the full extent of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's jurisdiction. This scale is appropriate for understanding the overall distribution and density patterns of well construction permits across the district. Individual permit locations are visible as distinct points in areas of lower density, while higher-density areas show merged coverage.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The dataset includes well construction permits from the district's historical records through September 2018 (as indicated by the data source layer name SW_WCP_SEP18). The data represents permits issued throughout the operational history of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Limitations:

The dataset represents permitted well construction sites and does not indicate which wells were actually constructed, are currently operational, or have been decommissioned. Historical location accuracy may vary depending on the original recording methods used at the time of permit issuance. The data is current only through September 2018 and does not include permits issued after that date.

Map Coverage:

The map displays the full geographic extent of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's jurisdiction in central and western Florida. Surrounding areas outside the district's boundaries are shown for geographic context but contain no permit data. The coverage extends from approximately Gainesville in the north to Cape Coral in the south, and from the Gulf of America coast in the west to the Orlando area and portions of the Atlantic coastal region in the east.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.