“Protecting Florida’s springs is part of our daily work and is at the heart of our mission of safeguarding our state’s water quality and natural resources,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “Over the past nine years, the District has co-funded 164 projects, which has saved more than 100 million gallons of water a day to help protect Outstanding Florida Springs.”

Steps to reduce pollution and groundwater usage and minimize other impacts on the springs are the focus of many projects and initiatives now underway. The District continues to build on partnerships with many entities, pursuing protection and restoration of springs through scientific research, restoration projects, water use regulation, water supply planning and stakeholder outreach.

Rep. Charles “Chuck” Clemons of Newberry recently introduced a resolution (HR 8029) recognizing April 2023 as Springs Protection Awareness Month in Florida. Since 2013, water management districts across the state and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have joined the Legislature in recognizing the importance of springs and encouraging behaviors that will enhance springs protection.

Visit www.sjrwmd.com/springs for more information about the District’s work to protect springs.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the district and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The district encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Apopka, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

The post April Is Designated As Springs Protection Awareness Month By The St. Johns River Water Management District appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

To register, visit this link.

The virtual public meeting will be recorded and made available on the District’s website, www.sjrwmd.com. Related materials also are posted here.

The post Lake Minneola Innovative Algal Bloom Treatment Project Public Webinar (Dec 16) appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

In a word, June was wet — and in some areas, extremely wet. The western edge of the St. Johns River Water Management District recorded more than 10 inches of rain in June, even before Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall on Florida’s northern Gulf Coast on July 7.

A full report outlining June’s hydrologic conditions was presented at the District’s Governing Board meeting Tuesday. Highlights include:

Rainfall

• Districtwide, June rainfall averaged 8.44 inches, which is 1.70 inches above the long-term average for the month.
• June rainfall was above average across the much of the District, although several counties in the coastal zone and central Florida reported average or below-average rainfall.
• Tropical Storm Elsa brought additional rainfall in early July to the already very wet northwest region, but southern and central coastal areas are still dry.
• Counties with the highest rainfall totals were Putnam and Alachua, with more than 11 inches of rain, followed by Clay and Marion counties which received between 10 and 11 inches.
• Counties with slightly below-average rainfall in June included Seminole, Volusia and Indian River.
• Districtwide, the cumulative rainfall total for the past 12 months is 52.85 inches, which is 1.84 inches above the long-term average.
• Countywide rainfall totals for the past 12 months range from 49 inches in Osceola County to 56.4 inches in Putnam County.

Groundwater

• Upper Floridan aquifer conditions (groundwater levels) at the end of June were mostly in the normal range, other than a few pockets of low-range areas including the coastal area of southeast Duval/northeast St. Johns counties.
• Groundwater levels are at the 55^thpercentile Districtwide and trending upward, which is common for this time of year. This means that since 1980, aquifer levels have been higher than they currently are about 45 percent of the time.

Surface water flows

• Surface water flow conditions in all the St. Johns River stations were in the average range.
• On July 1, flow in the St. Johns River’s headwaters at the Melbourne station was 320 million gallons per day (mgd) (62^nd percentile).
• Flows in the Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota were in the average range at 253 mgd (67th percentile).
• Flows in the Wekiva River near Sanford were in the average range at 164 mgd (40^th percentile).
• Flows at the Deland station were in the average range at 1.3 billion gallons per day (bgd) (25^th percentile).
• Flows in the Ocklawaha River, the largest tributary to the St. Johns River, were in the high range at 1.1 bgd (89^thpercentile).
• Flows at the Satsuma station were average range at 4 bgd (67^thpercentile).
• Flows in the St. Marys River near Macclenny were in the very high range at 842 mgd (93^rd percentile).

Lake levels

• Lake Brooklyn water levels increased 0.6 foot to 98.4 feet in June.
• Lake Weir increased by 0.5 foot to 53 feet.
• Lake Apopka’s water level increased 0.2 foot to 65.5 feet and remained consistent with its regulation schedule. Lake Apopka is part of a system with water control structures that are operated by the District to reduce flood impacts, and the lake level is regulated according to a specific schedule.
• Blue Cypress Lake levels increased 0.1 foot to 21.3 feet, matching the regulation schedule for the time of year. Blue Cypress is also part of a system with water control structures that are operated by the District. During April and May, the regulation schedule levels begin to drop in preparation for the summer wet season.

Spring flows

• The mean monthly flow at Silver Springs decreased to 596 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 385 mgd, which is in the normal range.
• At the Blue Spring station in Volusia County, the mean monthly flow decreased to 162 cfs, or 105 mgd, which is in the normal or high range for this time of year
• At Rock Springs, the monthly mean flow decreased slightly to 58 cfs (38 mgd), which is in the normal or high range for June.
• Mean monthly flow at Wekiwa Springs decreased slightly to 65 cfs (42 mgd), which is in the normal range for the time of year.

To learn more about rainfall totals and other hydrologic data collected, visit sjrwmd.com.

Visit www.WaterLessFlorida.com for tips to help landscapes thrive while saving water and money. Watch the weather and wait to water during Florida’s summer rainy season. Follow the water conservation conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation #savewater.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

The post Tropical Storm Elsa Made Wet Areas Wetter: Above-Average June Rainfall Brings Up Lake Levels appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

“Preserving and restoring the lakes in our District is at the heart of our work,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director and former NALMS president Dr. Ann Shortelle. “By implementing proven approaches, the District and our partners are achieving significant improvements, such as reducing phosphorus concentrations while pilot testing new technologies to improve our lakes’ health.”

The St. Johns River has many large lakes along its length, starting with Blue Cypress Lake at its headwaters and flowing through Washington, Harney, Jesup, Monroe and George along its path to the ocean. Lake Apopka is the headwaters of the Ocklawaha River and chain of lakes, and Newnans Lake is the headwaters of the Orange Creek Basin.

NALMS makes the annual proclamation to raise awareness of the importance of lakes and the benefits they provide, highlighting the value of water and open spaces, recreation and how they serve in aquifer recharge, as well as helping to reduce the force and effects of flooding. In addition, NALMS conducts its annual Secchi Dip-In each July. Started in the United States, the Secchi Dip-In is now an international effort in which volunteers produce a “snapshot” of water transparency in lakes around the world.

For information about waterways within the District, visitwww.sjrwmd.com/waterways. Join the conversation at #sjrwmd #NALMS #loveourlakes.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

The post St. Johns River Water Management District Recognizes July As Lakes Appreciation Month appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

By being proactive ahead of a storm, homeowners can protect themselves and their property from flooding effects that are often the biggest problem associated with tropical systems in Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District’s website provides easy access to valuable data and information to assist the public and local governments before, during and after severe storm events.

While hurricane season officially began June 1, water is a year-round focus for the District. Its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team works daily to ensure the agency is ready for hurricane season and other emergencies, protecting the District’s facilities and lands and assisting local governments, state and regional leaders with data, technical and emergency support.

The District’s web pages (www.sjrwmd.com/storm) include links to flood statements and warnings, river stage and flooding data, and local government emergency contacts. Links to the National Weather Service, Florida Division of Emergency Management and the U.S. Geological Survey’s interactive map of current conditions in the state are also available via the website at www.sjrwmd.com/data.

District permitting staff also play an important part in flood protection all year through their work to ensure stormwater is managed on developed sites and that new drainage ditches or significant changes to existing ditches are coordinated regionally. The District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issue permits to install stormwater systems, which typically then become the legal responsibility of a homeowners’ association or property management company.

Property owners have a crucial role in preparing for hurricane season, which officially runs through Nov. 30. You can protect yourself and your property by:

• Keeping debris out of storm drains and ditches
• Reporting clogged ditches and culverts to local governments
• Retrofitting buildings to make them watertight
• Cleaning out gutters and extending downspouts at least four feet from structures
• Determining who has responsibility for stormwater pond maintenance in your neighborhood — it may be the homeowners’ association
• Obtaining flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program

For general water level information and rainfall data, bookmark the District’s hydrologic data webpage. To know who to call when impacted by a storm, visit www.sjrwmd.com/localgovernments/flooding/#state-national.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

Connect with us on Twitter at @SJRWMD, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. For more information about the District, please visit www.sjrwmd.com.

The post Tips To Prepare For Tropical Weather Systems appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

A full report outlining May’s hydrologic conditions was presented at the District’s Governing Board meeting Tuesday. Highlights include:

Rainfall

• Districtwide, May rainfall averaged 1.5 inches, which is 1.96 inches below the long-term average for the month.
• May rainfall was well below average across the District, with countywide totals ranging from 0.9 inch in Baker County to 2.1 inches in Brevard County.
• Districtwide, the cumulative total for the past 12 months is near the long-term average, at 51.9 inches.
• Countywide rainfall totals for the past 12 months range from 51.1 inches in Lake County to 58.9 inches in Volusia County.

Groundwater

• Upper Floridan aquifer conditions (groundwater levels) at the end of May were mostly in the normal range but significant low range zones were recorded in Indian River and southern Brevard counties, southeastern Duval and northern St. Johns counties and in scattered pockets throughout central Florida.
• Groundwater levels are at the 40^thpercentile Districtwide. This means that since 1980, aquifer levels have been higher than they are now about 60 percent of the time.

Surface Water Flows

• Surface water flow conditions in the St. Johns River headwaters were in the very low range, while the rest of the upper and middle St. Johns River basins’ stations were in the average range.
• On June 1, flow in the St. Johns River’s headwaters at the Melbourne station were negative, or reverse flow, at -5 million gallons per day (mgd), which corresponds to the 3^rd percentile.
• Orlando tributary flows varied from the very low range in the Wekiva River to average in the Econlockhatchee River.
• Flows in the Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota were in the average range at 27 mgd (42^nd percentile).
• Flows in the Wekiva River near Sanford were very low at 101 mgd (6^thpercentile).
• Flows at the Deland station were 460 mgd (27^th percentile).
• Flow in the Lower St. Johns River Basin was in the very low range, while the Ocklawaha River was average.
• Flows in the Ocklawaha River, the largest tributary to the St. Johns River, were in the average range at 439 mgd (28^th percentile).
• Flows at the Satsuma station were negative, -2,650 mgd, or in the 5^thpercentile.
• Flows in the St. Marys River near Macclenny were in the average range at 40 mgd (57^th percentile).

Lake Levels

• Lake Brooklyn water levels decreased a foot in May to 97.8 feet.
• Lake Weir, at 52.5 feet, decreased a half-foot.
• Lake Apopka’s water level decreased about a half-foot and remained consistent with its regulation schedule at 65.3 feet. Lake Apopka is part of a system with water control structures that are operated by the District to reduce flood impacts, and the lake level is regulated according to a specific schedule.
• Blue Cypress Lake levels decreased 0.8 foot, matching the regulation schedule for the time of year as the rainy season approaches. Blue Cypress is also part of a system with water control structures that are operated by the District. During April and May, the regulation schedule levels begin to drop in preparation for the summer wet season.

Spring Flows

• The mean monthly flow at Silver Springs increased to 633 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 409 mgd.
• At the Blue Spring station in Volusia County, the mean monthly flow increased slightly to 175 cfs, or 113 mgd, which is in the high flow range for this time of year.
• At Rock Springs, the monthly mean flow decreased slightly to 58 cfs (37 mgd), which is in the normal range.
• Mean monthly flow at Wekiwa Springs decreased slightly to 66 cfs (43 mgd), which is in the normal range for the time of year.

To learn more about rainfall totals and other hydrologic data collected, visit sjrwmd.com.

Visit www.WaterLessFlorida.com for tips to help landscapes thrive while saving water and money. Watch the weather and wait to water during Florida’s summer rainy season. Follow the water conservation conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation #savewater.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

The post Rainfall In May Was Well Below Average Districtwide appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

“The Marsh Flow-Way was one of our earliest restoration projects to improve water quality in Lake Apopka,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “Today it is among a dozen projects at Lake Apopka to improve water quality and hasten the recovery of the lake’s submerged aquatic plants, a critical habitat for a sustainable sport fishery.”

The Marsh Flow-Way, located along the northwest shore of Lake Apopka and west of the Apopka-Beauclair Canal, is a recirculating system that filters about 40 percent of the lake’s volume each year. It began operation in November 2003.

To address a reduction in treatment efficiency, the District began maintenance of the Marsh Flow-Way in 2019 to re-level the wetland cells and reopen ditches that promote sheetflow conditions in the cells. The completed project restores the flow-way to its originally constructed condition and reestablishes its ability to efficiently filter suspended sediments and nutrients from Lake Apopka.

The District and Florida Department of Environmental Protection partnered on the project.

The Marsh Flow-Way system covers approximately 760 acres and contains four independent individual wetland cells, in addition to levees, canals and ditches. Prior to construction, the area had been farmed for decades, during which time many feet of organic soils had been lost. Now lake water flows by gravity from west to east through an individual cell before it is collected in the pump basin and lifted back up to the Apopka-Beauclair Canal. Most of the cleaner, treated water returns to Lake Apopka, while the remainder flows downstream toward Lake County Water Authority’s nutrient removal facility (NuRF) and Lake Beauclair.

Since the late 1980s, the District’s work at Lake Apopka has resulted in average lake phosphorus concentration reductions of 64% while water clarity has increased by 55%. The recovery of clearer water and return of sunlight to the lake’s bottom has caused the regrowth of submerged aquatic vegetation, missing for 50 years, and improved critical largemouth bass habitat.

Overly enriched with nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, Lake Apopka has experienced persistent algal blooms for decades. The District’s restoration program works to reduce excessive nutrients in the lake by limiting the amount of nutrients and phosphorus entering the lake and removing accumulated phosphorous and sediments from the lake.

The District’s multipronged approach to Lake Apopka water quality restoration has been “diet and exercise.” “Diet” has focused on reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the lake. The largest “diet” improvement occurred following the Legislature’s 1996 direction to the District to buy out the farms on the North Shore and restore the historic wetlands.

“Exercise” is removal of phosphorus already in the lake, which has included harvest of gizzard shad from the lake since 1993 and operating the Marsh Flow-Way since 2003 to continuously filter algae, suspended solids and associated nutrients.

Other current projects at Lake Apopka include a pay-for-performance project that uses an innovative technology to remove phosphorus from the lake’s water; multiple projects on the North Shore that improve water and phosphorus management capabilities so that the pumping back to the lake can be reduced; and projects to accelerate the recovery of aquatic plants in the lake.

Lake Apopka, located about 15 miles northwest of Orlando, is the headwaters of the Ocklawaha Chain of Lakes and is the fifth largest lake in Florida.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

The post St. Johns River Water Management District Completes Improvements To Lake Apopka Marsh Flow-Way appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

“These cost-share projects will help develop approximately 10.6 million gallons per day of alternative water supplies, reduce nutrient loading to our waterways and springs, protect against flooding and conserve water,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle.

District cost-share funding for water resource protection and restoration projects helps local governments make progress in preserving, restoring and enhancing the Floridan aquifer system, the St. Johns River, Indian River Lagoon and other waterways and Outstanding Florida Springs.

• Thirteen water quality protection projects are estimated to reduce nutrient loads by nearly 32,200 pounds of total nitrogen per year and 4,450 pounds of total phosphorus per year. These include:
  • Orange County Wekiwa Springs Septic Tank Retrofit Project Phase 2, benefiting Wekiwa Springs
  • Lake County Lake Joanna Stormwater Enhancements, reducing nutrient loads to Lake Joanna
  • A fourth phase of the Elsie and Horse Landing roads septic-to-sewer REDI/Innovative project in Putnam County
• Seven water supply projects that include alternative water supply projects and water conservation projects:
  • Deland Alabama Avenue Reclaimed Water Main Extension, which includes the installation 4,800 linear feet of reclaimed water main within Volusia Blue Springs springshed.
  • Vero Beach Canal to Irrigation Water Project, which includes construction of a reclaimed water main to transmit treated canal water for use in irrigation. The project also provides a water quality benefit to the Indian River Lagoon.
• Two flood protection projects in Marion County are estimated to protect 28 acres — the Country Gardens Stormwater Remediation Project and the Southeast 64^th Avenue Road Drainage Retention Area.
• Two projects focus on natural system protections, including the top-ranked Ocala Lower Floridan Aquifer Conversion Project, which will ultimately provide alternative water supplies that would increase springflows to Silver Springs by nearly 7 cubic feet per second, and the Seminole County Little Wekiva Restoration Project, which would restore 20 acres of wetlands.

The Board also approved sending a list of 15 springs restoration projects benefitting Outstanding Florida Springs, including Silver, Volusia Blue, DeLeon and Wekiwa–Rock springs, to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for funding consideration, along with 11 alternative water supply projects also to be evaluated for FDEP funding.

In total, 36 applications totaling nearly $20 million in requested District funding were ranked and scored based on core mission benefits, cost-effectiveness, likelihood of successful and timely completion, and application quality and completeness. Projects must begin during fiscal year 2021-2022 and be completed within two years.

Cost-share project rankings for each program can be found here.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.

Connect with us on Twitter at @SJRWMD, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. For more information about the District, please visit www.sjrwmd.com

The post Board Approves 24 Water Resource Protection Projects To Share $10.6 MIllion appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

“Florida is a national leader in water reuse, with almost a billion gallons per day of reclaimed water reused,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “In the St. Johns District, more than half the 380 million gallons per day (mgd) of reclaimed water is reused for beneficial purposes, helping to offset groundwater demands. We continue to partner with utilities to expand reclaimed water use across the region through our cost-share program.”

Over the last 30 years, Florida has worked to encourage and promote the reuse of reclaimed water. Since 1995, beneficial reuse in the District has grown by 166%.

Through its cooperative cost-share programs, the District has contributed more than $81 million over the past 17 years to reclaimed water projects to offset groundwater demands and protect Florida’s water supply for the future.

Water reuse is the process of using highly treated wastewater for beneficial purposes. Currently, there are 140 reuse systems in the District that use approximately 217 mgd of reclaimed water for beneficial purposes such as golf course and landscape irrigation, groundwater recharge and industrial uses, which offsets an equivalent volume of groundwater.

Since Florida water utilities began using reclaimed water in the 1970s, it has become a major component of water resource management by local governments and utilities within the state of Florida and the District.

Since 2007, the State of Florida, the Department of Environmental Protection, water management districts, water utilities, local governments and water-related organizations have declared the third week in May as Water Reuse Week to promote and encourage efficient use of reclaimed water.

The District actively promotes and encourages efficient and effective use of reclaimed water by:

• Implementing a cooperative funding program that provides financial assistance to entities developing alternative water supplies, including water reuse;
• Funding studies and pilot programs that promote innovative treatment technologies; and
• Engaging in innovative uses and applications of reclaimed water.

The post Water Reuse Week -Reclaimed Water Use Protects Drinking Water Supplies, Offsets Groundwater Use (May 16-22) appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

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