The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to partner with Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) and the Florida Forest Service (FFS) to purchase nearly 102 acres.

The District and other partners have received several reports of localized fish kills in the Indian River Lagoon over the past few days. District staff, along with Brevard County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and others, are investigating.

The District Governing Board will conduct its regular monthly meeting on Dec. 8 both electronically and in-person for the benefit of the public wishing to participate.

The District is hosting the Gainesville chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for its annual youth and women’s deer hunts.

The District will hold a public webinar on Dec. 16 to discuss initial peer review comments on the surface water model that will be used to develop minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for Red Bug Lake in Seminole County.

The District is holding a virtual public hearing on Dec. 16 to take public comment on its draft 10-year land management plan for the Julington-Durbin Preserve.

The District will hold a rule development workshop on Dec. 10 to discuss recovery strategies for the minimum levels in lakes Brooklyn and Geneva, located in Clay and Bradford counties.

The final month of 2020’s Atlantic hurricane season ended with good news for most counties in the District: No drought conditions, the Floridan aquifer system is in the high ranges, and Orlando-area springs are experiencing strong flows.

The District Governing Board today approved the contract for a $2.19 million project to reduce phosphorus loads to Lake Apopka through infrastructure improvements to the Duda portion of the North Shore.

Construction will begin this week on the Lake Apopka Duda Property Water Storage Improvement Project to improve water management abilities and reduce phosphorus loading to Lake Apopka through infrastructure improvements.

The District is accepting cost-share applications through Jan. 29 from farmers, growers and ranchers interested in partnering on agricultural projects that promote water conservation.

The District has created interim parking and a new small gate at the entrance of the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive to allow pedestrian and bicycle access to the recreational Loop Trail as Orange County upgrades its Magnolia Park amenities.

The District will hold a public teleconference Jan. 14 to discuss management of lands within the central portion of the District.

Many counties across the District had a very dry December, with the southern half of the District receiving less than an inch of rainfall over the month.

The District is offering three course options for community association managers (CAM) to earn free continuing education credits.