Public meeting Feb. 8 to discuss model peer review for Johns Lake

PALATKA, Fla., Jan. 19, 2022 — The St. Johns River Water Management District will hold a public meeting on Feb. 8 to begin the peer review process for the surface water model for Johns Lake in Orange and Lake counties, located within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) area.

The District is currently completing a minimum flows and levels (MFLs) determination for Johns Lake, which is established to help protect the lake from significant harm due to groundwater or surface water withdrawals. The current plan is to submit a Notice of Proposed Rule (NPR) for Johns Lake by the end of 2023.

In November 2021, the District completed development of an interconnected channel and pond routing (ICPR4) model. This public meeting will kick off the peer review of the Johns Lake ICPR model, and future workshops or teleconferences will focus on peer review of model calibration and application. Review of this model is part of the comprehensive CFWI peer review process for Johns Lake.

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with a presentation at the Oakland Nature Preserve and conclude with a site visit to Johns Lake.

WHAT:          Johns Lake surface water model peer review kick off

WHEN:         Feb. 8, 2022; 1 p.m.

WHERE:       Oakland Nature Preserve, 747 Machete Trail Oakland, FL 34760 

Establishing MFLs is an important component of the District’s work of planning for adequate water supplies for today and for future generations while also protecting the District’s water resources.