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The St. Johns River Water Management District and Alachua County are pleased to announce the expansion of the Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area (LWCA). The District, a key steward of nearly 40,000 acres in Alachua County, has joined forces with Alachua County to acquire 156 acres adjacent to LWCA.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is conducting a 42-acre prescribed burn today at Newnans Lake Conservation Area in Alachua County. The burn will be located on the Hatchet Creek Tract near the property’s northern boundary. The burn’s purpose is to reduce hazardous fuel loads and maintain fire-dependent natural communities.

After five consecutive months of below-average rainfall, July brought a much-needed increase in precipitation to the St. Johns River Water Management District’s 18-county region. Eleven of these counties saw above-average rainfall, with northern and central areas benefiting the most. However, southern counties experienced a shortfall, including Brevard which was nearly 2.5 inches below compared to the July average.

Lake Apopka, Florida’s fourth-largest lake, is experiencing a revival thanks to a four-decade, $200 million restoration effort led by the St. Johns River Water Management District and its partners. These restoration efforts, which focus on wetland restoration, phosphorus reduction and habitat enhancement, have achieved a 69% decline in phosphorus concentrations and a 93% increase in water clarity as of 2023.

The St. Johns River Water Management District announces the temporary closure of the Headwaters Lake parking lot, located within the Fellsmere Water Management Area (FWMA), for resurfacing from Aug.19–23. While the Headwaters Lake boat ramp will not be accessible, the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area (Stick Marsh boat ramp) will remain fully operational and offers access for both motorized and non-motorized vessels into Stick Marsh and Blue Cypress Conservation Area.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is monitoring the tropics as Invest 97L is expected to develop further and potentially impact Florida throughout the weekend. While the storm’s exact landfall location remains uncertain, the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team and executive leadership are ensuring the District is ready should the storm continue to organize and become a threat to the region.