District proclaims April 2020 as Springs Protection Awareness Month

Left to right: Board member Doug Bournique, Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle, Board member Susan Dolan, Board Chairman Gen. Douglas Burnett and District General Counsel Bill Abrams.

PALATKA, Fla., March 10, 2020 ― For the seventh consecutive year, the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board has approved a proclamation designating April as Springs Protection Awareness Month. The annual designation helps increase awareness about the importance of Florida’s springs and encourages residents and stakeholders to participate in the protection of springs.

“This annual proclamation underscores our Governing Board’s ongoing commitment to science-based springs protection,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “During the past six years, the District has co-funded 126 projects to protect our Outstanding Florida Springs, contributing toward $202 million in springs protection cooperative funding projects.”

Through its cost-share programs, the district has contributed a total of $49 million since 2014 toward vital springs protection projects, resulting in more than 90 million gallons per day of groundwater withdrawal offsets and alternative water supply. These projects have also reduced total nitrogen loading in priority springsheds by more than 1.1 million pounds per year and total phosphorus loading by 170,000 pounds per year.

Sen. Rob Bradley of Orange Park and Rep. Charles “Chuck” Clemons of Newberry recently introduced resolutions (SR 1930 and HR 8043) recognizing April 2020 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.