Newsroom

The District has reopened the majority of its public lands and all navigational locks after Hurricane Helene, providing access for outdoor recreation.

The District is reopening most of its lands and all navigational locks beginning Saturday, Sept. 28. This includes the popular Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, located on the District’s Lake Apopka North Shore, which will be open to vehicular traffic from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hurricane Helene continues to strengthen as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the St. Johns River Water Management District’s 18-county region remains under a Tropical Storm Watch through late Thursday evening.

With Hurricane Helene approaching Florida’s coast, the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Emergency Operations Center is actively monitoring the storm and taking necessary precautions to protect public safety.

August rainfall marked a return to above-average levels across much of the St. Johns River Water Management District region. Early in the month, Hurricane Debby brought significant rain to northern and western counties, with typical summer rain patterns contributing throughout the rest of August.

The St. Johns River Water Management District will perform maintenance at the Burrell and Apopka locks from Sept. 16 – 20 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.