Garald Parker, Sr., P.G., Senior. Scientist Southwest Florida Water Management District (1969-1975)

When Garald G. Parker, Sr. joined District staff in 1969 as the first employee of the newly formed Hydrology Division, the Southwest Florida Water Management District was a very different organization than it is today. In 1969, the District was oriented primarily towards flood control. Its first priority was the Four River Basins Project, a regional flood control effort for west central Florida administered jointly by the District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Parker's tenure at the District coincided with a transition from a flood control agency to a true water management district with responsibilities for long-term planning, water conservation, identification of flood-prone areas, and regulations for the water resources. Parker himself is responsible in large measure for the transition. He contributed significantly to the understanding and protection of South Florida's water supply and associated Everglades.

Some of Parker's major accomplishments are:

• Naming and defining the hydrologic characteristics of the Biscayne and Floridan aquifer.
• Establishing a system of registering well drillers and a method of permitting all wells drilled within the District.
• Determining methods of countering the problem of salt water intrusion, such as the construction of salinity barriers.
• Defining the importance of the Green Swamp as a major contributor to the recharge area for the water supply of much of west central Florida.
• Formulating a water budget for the watershed basins within the District's jurisdiction.
• Expanding the District's cooperative agreement with the United States Geological Survey for the collection of hydrologic data.
• Defining the need of a regional monitor-well program to track changes in aquifer levels and water quality trends.

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Because of his long and valued service to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and because of District staff's deep respect for the Dean of Florida Hydrologists, the District has created a memorial site in memory of his many accomplishments. The memorial is located on District property in the Green Swamp. The District owns the Green Swamp property and leases a portion to the Lowry Park Zoo for an educational facility and endangered species preserve. This location will be the memorial site and is a fitting tribute to Parker's long-time devotion to the Green Swamp and its significant contribution to Florida's water supply and wildlife habitat.

More Information

• Garald G. "Jerry" Parker, Sr. (1905-2000)
• University Of Florida Oral History Program
• U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division Video History Project

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
This page is: http://sofia.usgs.gov/memorials/parker/parker_swfwmd.html
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Last updated: 17 October, 2007 @ 02:15 PM(TJE)