We live in an era in which once geographically discreet locales, experiences and perceptions are increasingly integrated into a complex global system. Neither traditional science nor policy directives alone can meet the challenges of this integrated world. An interdisciplinary approach to environmental solutions that links political, social, economic and ecological systems across space is required. Geography can provide this perspective. This paper explores the application of a geographic analysis to a local water conservation problem in south Florida. By constructing a unique framework that combines soil and water-flow analysis, mapping of demographic and ethnographic data, and a spatialized political economy approach, comprehensive solutions to local problems may be developed.