Ocala Ranch Living

SWFWMD

Natural Assets… Our Wetlands

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As Dr. Edward Maltby said, wetlands are “among the earth’s greatest natural assets. . . mankind’s waterlogged wealth.”

However, what good are wetlands, if they aren’t restored, maintained and preserved?

That’s just what we plan to do.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) confirmed that Ocala Ranch avoids any impact to onsite wetlands. We will not impact any wetlands, and Ocala Ranch will have protective natural buffers around all wetlands on our property. There is even a plan, pending approvals, to restore the wetlands in the 1,300+ acre open space portion of the site to closely replicate their original state (1940 conditions) and preserve them in perpetuity.

We value the land we have, and that includes the wetlands.

We Value Our Water

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Water – one of our greatest natural resources. That’s why we made it one of our top priorities at Ocala Ranch as we explored the options for our land. In 2015, when we first started working with Marion County staff to create a plan, we tested the existing wells on our property to learn just how much water we have. We consulted the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and learned the ins and outs of their requirements.

And then we asked for less.

Much less than what SWFWMD’s calculations say that we could have. In fact, Ocala Ranch’s water withdrawal would be 72 percent less than SWFWMD’s permittable withdrawal.

Ocala Ranch will have a dedicated water campus on site which means no individual wells will be built or permitted. We will have lined ponds to harvest stormwater for irrigation, and four miles of dedicated sewer lines will run to and from the existing county plant to ensure no septic tanks will be used.

 We care about water and have made it a priority that Ocala Ranch uses only what we need.