The Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) stretches from the St. Marks River Basin in Jefferson County to the Perdido River in Escambia County. The District is one of five water management districts in Florida created by the Water Resources Act of 1972. The District has worked for decades to protect and manage water resources in a sustainable manner for the continued welfare of people and natural systems across its 16-county region. It serves Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, Washington and western Jefferson Counties.
Within the District's 11,305-square-mile (29,280 km2) area, there are several major hydrologic (or drainage) basins: Perdido River and Bay System, Pensacola Bay System (Escambia, Blackwater and Yellow Rivers), Choctawhatchee River and Bay System, St. Andrew Bay System, Apalachicola River and Bay System and St. Marks River Basin (Wakulla River).
A nine-member Governing Board, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate, guides District activities. Board members serve four-year terms without compensation and may be reappointed. An Executive Director oversees a staff of approximately 100 that includes hydrologists, geologists, biologists, engineers, planners, foresters, land managers and various administrative personnel.