Alternative Text Description for Outstanding Florida Waters

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW) throughout the state of Florida, showing waters designated worthy of special protection because of their natural attributes. The map categorizes these protected waters into four types: Aquatic Preserve, Other, Other Clip, and Special. These designations are applied to maintain existing acceptable water quality standards and protect waters with exceptional natural characteristics.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, showing boundaries from the panhandle region in the northwest to the southern tip near the Florida Keys. Major cities labeled on the map include Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, Cape Coral, and Miami. The map extends from the Georgia border in the north (near Albany and Valdosta) to the southernmost keys. Coastal areas along both the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf of America on the west are visible, including locations such as Palm Coast, Palm Bay, Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, Coral Springs, and the Straits of Florida to the south.

KEY INSIGHTS

Outstanding Florida Waters are distributed throughout the state with notable concentrations in specific regions. The most extensive continuous protected area appears along the central-western coast from the Tampa Bay region southward through the southwestern coastal area and into the southern portion of the state including areas near Miami and the Florida Keys. Significant concentrations also appear in the northern panhandle near Pensacola and around the Tallahassee region. The central peninsula shows scattered protected waters, particularly around Orlando and the surrounding areas. Coastal regions demonstrate higher densities of protected waters compared to interior portions of the state, with protected waters following both coastlines and extending into inland waterways and aquatic systems.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Outstanding Florida Waters

This layer represents waters throughout Florida designated for special protection due to their natural attributes, categorized into four classification types.

Aquatic Preserve (diagonal line pattern, pink/magenta outline)

Appearance:

Areas filled with diagonal line hatching and outlined in pink or magenta, representing officially designated aquatic preserves within the OFW system.

Distribution:

Aquatic Preserves appear throughout the state with major concentrations along the central-western coast from Tampa southward through southwestern Florida, in southern Florida including areas near Miami and the Keys, and in the panhandle near Pensacola and Tallahassee.

Notable locations:

Large aquatic preserve areas are visible along the Tampa Bay coastline extending southward, in the southwestern coastal region, throughout the Florida Keys and southern tip, along portions of the eastern coast near Jacksonville and Palm Coast, and in multiple locations in the panhandle.

Spatial patterns:

Aquatic Preserves tend to cluster along coastal areas and follow natural water body boundaries, forming linear and irregular shapes that correspond to bays, estuaries, coastal waters, and marine environments.

Other (solid pink/magenta fill)

Appearance:

Areas shown with solid pink or magenta fill, representing OFW waters classified as "Other" type.

Distribution:

"Other" type OFWs appear scattered throughout the state, often in smaller patches interspersed with Aquatic Preserve areas and appearing independently in various inland and coastal locations.

Notable locations:

Visible concentrations include areas around Tallahassee, scattered locations in the central peninsula, portions of the eastern coast, and various inland water bodies throughout the state.

Spatial patterns:

These features appear as both isolated patches and in proximity to Aquatic Preserve areas, suggesting they represent various water bodies including rivers, springs, lakes, and other aquatic features that qualify for OFW designation but are not designated as aquatic preserves.

Other Clip (diagonal line pattern, lighter appearance)

Appearance:

Areas with diagonal line hatching similar to Aquatic Preserve but appearing lighter or with different line orientation.

Distribution:

"Other Clip" features appear less frequently than the other categories and are distributed sporadically across the state.

Notable locations:

Examples can be seen in the southern peninsula and potentially in other locations where they appear adjacent to or overlapping with other OFW types.

Spatial patterns:

These features often appear in areas where multiple OFW designations may intersect or where specific boundary delineations are needed.

Special (diagonal line pattern, purple/blue outline)

Appearance:

Areas with diagonal line hatching and purple or blue outlines, representing waters with Special OFW designation.

Distribution:

Special OFWs appear throughout the state, often following river systems and linear waterway patterns in addition to some coastal areas.

Notable locations:

Notable concentrations include river corridors throughout the peninsula, waterways in the central and northern regions, and coastal segments intermixed with other OFW types.

Spatial patterns:

Special OFWs frequently follow linear patterns corresponding to river systems and stream networks, creating distinctive corridor-like patterns that extend inland from coastal areas and connect various water bodies throughout the state.

Overlapping Patterns

Throughout the map, different OFW types appear adjacent to one another and sometimes overlapping, particularly along the coast where Aquatic Preserves, Special OFWs, and Other types create complex mosaics of protected waters. The southwestern coast shows particularly intricate patterns where multiple designation types converge.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents the spatial extent of Outstanding Florida Waters as defined and regulated under Section 62-302.700, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). The OFW designation is Florida's highest level of water quality protection and is intended to maintain existing acceptable quality standards for waters with exceptional natural attributes. All three regulatory types of OFWs are included in this dataset: OFW Aquatic Preserves, Special OFWs, and Other OFWs. The boundaries shown represent the geographic areas where OFW protections apply. This layer is used for regulatory and management purposes to identify waters requiring special protection measures.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data represents Outstanding Florida Waters boundaries as described in Section 62-302.700, F.A.C., maintained as a GIS spatial dataset. This project involves adding new data to and modifying existing data within the OFW data layer for better accuracy and representation. The layer includes all three types of OFWs: OFW Aquatic Preserves, Special OFWs, and Other OFWs. Data source layer name: OFW_OTHER_DEC25.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was provided for this map view.

Scale Information:

The map shows state-wide coverage at a scale appropriate for viewing all Outstanding Florida Waters across Florida. This scale provides an overview of OFW distribution patterns while maintaining visibility of individual designation boundaries.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087).

Time Period of Content:

The data source layer name indicates content from December 2025 (DEC25).

Limitations:

Specific data gaps or methodological limitations are not provided with the source information. Users should verify current OFW boundaries with regulatory authorities for official purposes, as boundaries may be updated through rulemaking processes.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from the Georgia and Alabama borders in the north to the Florida Keys in the south, and from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Gulf of America coast in the west. The map includes the full extent of Florida's territorial waters where OFW designations apply.

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