tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50642080342911119682012-05-23T05:17:32.226-04:00The St. Johns River Water Management District manages groundwater and surface water supplies in all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties.Jeff Cole, St. Johns River Water Management Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06297948071039722590noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064208034291111968.post-75073795657702872162012-03-20T08:33:00.000-04:002012-03-20T08:33:07.036-04:00

The past few weeks may have seemed like spring had long since arrived in Florida, but the official beginning of spring actually didn’t occur until 1:14 a.m. today. With spring comes a re-emergence of lawns and landscapes that have been, in many cases in northeast and central Florida, dormant for the past several months. With that new growth comes yard work and more irrigation. As you consider

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Nearly 500 people joined us Jan. 5 for a public meeting in Howey-in-the-Hills to discuss water levels in the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County. The meeting provided an opportunity for numerous community and special interest groups and elected officials to speak publicly and share concerns about declining water levels. They were also able to hear the St. Johns River Water Management District’

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In a clear demonstration of support for the restoration of central Florida’s Lake Apopka, representatives of state, regional and local agencies and organizations and the public came together on Dec. 14 to focus on the future restoration actions for the lake that straddles Orange and Lake counties. Florida Sen. Alan Hays, Rep. Bryan Nelson and Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks sponsored the

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The pesky Gizzard shad is a fish without many positive attributes. The fish isn’t valued for human consumption: the flesh is soft and rather tasteless, it’s riddled with fine bones and has a strong odor. Scientists learned more than a decade ago that this “rough” fish is a veritable phosphorus factory, helping exacerbate algae growth in murky lakes by feeding on lake bottoms and excreting

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The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Executive Director Search Committee on Oct. 3 recommended that Hans G. Tanzler III be hired as the District’s next executive director. The District Governing Board will consider the recommendation at its Oct. 11 public meeting at the District’s headquarters in Palatka. Tanzler has been the District’s general counsel since July, and previously

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Kudos to Orange Park and Clay County Utility Authority (CCUA) for being the first in northeast Florida to share wastewater between utilities, thus increasing opportunities for reclaimed water use, preserving fresh drinking water supplies, and reducing wastewater discharges and nutrients flowing into the St. Johns River. Orange Park on June 2 transferred 937,000 gallons of wastewater to CCUA that

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Today marks the first day of hurricane season, which means that the time is upon us to ensure that we’re well prepared. An important element of preparation is having ready access to resources that can keep you informed about flood predictions, real-time water level information and who to contact for flooding assistance. The St. Johns River Water Management District maintains a web page that

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The Florida Earth Foundation has scheduled its third public forum for discussions that it began last fall about water resource issues in Florida. The foundation’s Water Choices III will be held July 7 at the University of North Florida’s University Center in Jacksonville, and registration is now open. According to the foundation’s website, “Water Choices III is insuring the think tank

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If you enjoy the outdoors and want to experience natural and undisturbed Florida, I encourage you to visit some of the 66 conservation areas encompassing 709,000 acres in north and central Florida managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District and its many partners. The best place to start is with the District’s online recreation guide, where you’ll find information about each property

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If Earth Day approaching tomorrow has you wondering what you can do in the name of conservation beyond just one day, the St. Johns River Water Management District’s opportunities for volunteers throughout the year may be of interest to you. By being involved in our waterway cleanups, in-school education programs, and special events, you can give whatever extra time you have to preserving, and

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Comcast subscribers in Northeast Florida can watch “Simple Truths About Our Water” at 7 p.m. on April 15 on channel 212 (WJCT 7.4). During the 30-minute show, you’ll see what’s being done to protect water supplies and meet future water demands, and the role water conservation should play for all of us. The program features the District’s work with local governments and water suppliers using a

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In the year since a Gate Petroleum store in Jacksonville received the first Florida Water Star commercial certification in northeast Florida, significant water savings are being realized. When we compare water use for the Gate store on Hendricks Avenue with another similarly-sized Gate store over a 12-month period, we found that, on average, the Florida Water Star Gate store used 61 percent less

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Robert Coufal finds the Emeralda Marsh along Lake Griffin in Lake County so awe-inspiring that he made the video below of the wildlife that now call the area home. Coufal, who is the assistant general manager at the Hampton Inn of Leesburg/Tavares, summed it up this way: “We here at the Hampton Inn and our visiting guests to the area would like to thank you for your important and hard work at

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As you consider which plants to put in your yard this weekend, don’t forget there’s an interactive and searchable online database that helps you choose the right place for the right place. The waterwise plant database allows you to choose waterwise plants based on criteria (soil and light conditions, height, etc.) that you input.

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Beth Hickenlooper, who works for the St. Johns River Water Management District, provided the following. When the March 11 earthquake shook Japan, it was literally felt around the world. The St. Johns River Water Management District, South Florida District and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have all reported data that shows the 8.9-magnitude earthquake was felt in Florida. Specifically, wells

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Watering is allowed within the St. Johns River Water Management District region no more than two days a week on designated days from March 13 until Nov. 6, when we return to one-day-a-week watering. All of the details on when you can and can’t water are on our watering restrictions web pages. There are also some exceptions to the watering restrictions for new plantings and other temporary

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The District’s Governing Board today adopted a proclamation designating April 2011 as Water Conservation Month, “…calling upon each resident, visitor and business to help protect our precious resource by practicing water conservation measures and becoming more aware of the need to conserve water.” We offer numerous tips on our water conservation web pages for residents and businesses interested

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If you’re itching to get out in your yard and start pruning and planting, you’ll be happy to know that the Farmers' Almanac suggests that you’re likely safe from another frost or freeze in central Florida and almost safe in northeast Florida. But, frost prediction is not an exact science, so if you proceed now or this coming weekend, it’s important to know that there is still some risk. The

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With the increased focus in recent years on water conservation, hopefully you’re thinking about ways that you can conserve water in and around your home. If you’re new to water conservation, which not only benefits our environment but can also save you money, you may want to start with your water bill (if you receive one) to get an idea of just how much water your household consumes. To drill

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The District’s work with the federal government to restore and enhance more than 150,000 acres of the St. Johns River’s headwaters near Florida’s east coast in Brevard and Indian River counties has received the distinction of being recognized in and on the cover of a book recently published in Australia. River Journeys II highlights the massive restoration project with several others around the

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Identifying adequate water supplies to accommodate current and future needs in northeast and central Florida continues to be a critical issue that we’re working on with local governments. Because water supply issues can impact everyone in the 18-county region within the St. Johns River Water Management District, we recently put together an informative video that explains what we’re doing to

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Congratulations to Governing Board Member Maryam Ghyabi, who recently received the “Woman of the Year Award” at the Northeast Florida Women's Transportation Seminar. Ms. Ghyabi, who is CEO and president of Ghyabi & Associates, was honored because of her transportation leadership in Florida. Ms. Ghyabi has served on the District’s Board since May 2009, when former Gov. Charlie Crist appointed

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The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board has approved buying 23.5 acres in central Volusia County that will increase wildlife habitat by expanding the boundaries of the Longleaf Pine Preserve, and will provide additional protection for Tiger Bay State Forest. The parcel is located north of State Road 44 and east of Interstate 4, and The Daytona Beach News-Journal ran a good

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Hersey “Herky” Huffman devoted numerous decades to the betterment of Florida’s environment and, specifically, to its water resources. His death on Jan. 4 was not only a tremendous loss to those who knew him, but also to the environment that he served. Among his many contributions and public service, Mr. Huffman served on the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board for three

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This space is typically devoted solely to water resource issues. But, I'm going to deviate from that today for all of the Florida residents who have been shivering through December. Dinah Voyles Pulver has a story in today's Daytona Beach News-Journal that provides a good explanation about the unusually cold weather we've had throughout the state. She even addresses what happened with the

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