Suwannee River Conservation Easement Acquisition

The Suwannee River Water Management District buys conservation easements (and sometimes land outright) from landowners to protect springs, wetlands, streams, floodplains and water supplies. Easements typically restrict development, reduce water use by capping wells or taking irrigation offline, limit fertilizer use and lower land-use intensity, and owners can request retained rights such as agriculture, silviculture or hunting. Landowners offer property through an annual application, and the Governing Board ranks offers each fall.

• Landowners offering property (fee or less-than-fee conservation easement, purchase or donation) within the District

• Priority to lands protecting Outstanding Florida Springs and Priority Focus Areas, surface waters, flood protection, water resource development projects, lands adjacent to District holdings

• Only complete application packets are considered; lands outside the District's primary focus areas will not be pursued

Purchase based on appraisal; an appraisal is required by the applicant or partnering agency before any SRWMD commitment for partnership funding. Applicant lists requested retained rights (hunting, recreation, silvicultural or agricultural activities, etc.). All purchases approved by the Governing Board, subject to available funding.

Published amounts: Purchase price set by appraisal; application requires an asking price total or per acre. 'Funding is limited and only top-ranked land projects will be pursued.'

Complete the online Land Acquisition Application by the annual deadline (FY 2027 cycle closed May 8, 2026). Staff evaluate applications, favorable ones go to the Lands Committee and Governing Board in the fall for ranking, and top-ranked projects proceed to appraisal, survey, environmental site assessment and baseline documentation.

Deadline text on the page: Applications for the FY 2027 funding year are due by May 08, 2026. Submittals received after this time will be considered for future funding years.