The Oklawaha Soil Conservation District was created on December 13, 1941 by landowner petition and included part of Sumter County. The name of the District was changed on April 22, 1947, to Marion Soil Conservation District. In 1969 the Florida Legislature amended Chapter 582 stating that all districts would be known as Soil and Water Conservation Districts, thus the present name of Marion Soil and Water Conservation District.

The United State Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, provides technical assistance to land users in cooperation and oversight from the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Agriculture and Water Policy, oversee and assist the districts in all matters relating to district requirements and administrative duties. A district is under the control of five (5) elected supervisors. Each supervisor must sign a statement attesting to being actively engaged in or having 10 years of agricultural experience and must reside in his or her seated district. The office of a supervisor is a non-paid, non-partisan official, representing the one of five districts in the County.