Meetings and Announcements

Upcoming Meetings

No meetings scheduled at this time.

Southern Recreation Public Meeting

The District’s Southern Recreational Public Meeting is scheduled for 6–8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The meeting will be held at the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Palm Bay Service Center, Blue Cypress Room, 525 Community College Parkway SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909.

The purpose of this meeting is to collect input from stakeholders regarding recreational use of District conservation land in the Upper St. Johns River Basin, South Region.

District staff will receive comments from the public during the meeting. If you are unable to attend in person and would like to provide a comment or question, please email SouthernRecreationComments@sjrwmd.com. The answers will be returned via email after the meeting.

Topics, as they relate to public recreational utilization of District lands, will include:

  • Overview of recreation on District land in the South Region
  • South Region land management and operations updates
  • Opportunity for public comment

Recreation Announcements

J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area

April 22, 2026

An area within J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area totaling 104 acres (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Some internal roads may be impacted as log trucks enter and exit Area 4. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation, including primitive tent camping (reservation required). The contract allows the work to be conducted through March 24, 2027.

Burrell Lock Temporarily Closed

March 24, 2026

Burrell Lock is temporarily closed due to a warped miter gate and a leaking seal identified during ongoing operational testing. District staff are actively assessing both issues and working with the contractor to determine the necessary repairs to restore safe and reliable operations. At this time, a reopening timeframe has not been established.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this causes and understand the disruption this may have on those who rely on the lock. We appreciate the public’s patience as we work to address these issues and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Burn ban – Several counties

March 16, 2026

Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Bradford, Lake, Marion, Orange, Putnam, Seminole, and St. Johns counties have enacted a countywide outdoor burn ban due to dry conditions and increased wildfire risk.

Under the burn ban, all outdoor burning, unless authorized by the Florida Forest Service, is prohibited, including on District lands. This includes bonfires, campfires, and cooking fires. Outdoor cooking done with a contained gas or charcoal grill (excluding a fire pit) is allowed under the ban.

Local burn bans are enacted by county governments. To see current county-enacted burn bans, please visit: Burn Ban Public Dashboard

Moses Creek Conservation Area

March 9, 2026

Heavy equipment will be onsite beginning May 1 for a Florida Power & Light (FPL) project to replace overhead power lines with underground lines within the power line easement. This project will require directional boring to install the lines underground. Parts of the red trail, on the north/central portion of the conservation area, will be closed during the project, which is expected to continue for approximately six months. Please use caution when visiting the property and always maintain a safe distance from heavy equipment; visibility from large equipment is limited and operators may be unable to see people approaching. FPL’s purpose for the project is to enhance the reliability of its electric grid to help avoid power outages, particularly during storm events. For questions about the power line project, contact FPL Project Engineer Bolivar Lai at (407) 754-8092.

Micco Water Management Area parking lot closure

February 26, 2026

The Micco Water Management Area parking lot will be closed from March 2 through May 31, 2026, for construction. During this time, the property will remain accessible via the yellow hiking trail from St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park.

Fellsmere Water Management Area – Headwaters Boat Ramp temporary recurring closures

February 2, 2026

The District will implement temporary, recurring closures of the Headwaters Boat Ramp, including the kayak launch, at the Fellsmere Water Management Area to support scheduled maintenance and restoration activities.

The ramp will be closed Monday through Thursday during the first full week of each month from May through September 2026, excluding federal holidays.

During these closures, western levee trails will remain open for hiking and bank fishing. Alternative boat access will continue to be available at nearby District-managed properties, including the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area (Stick Marsh) and the C-54 Boat Ramp.

For closure dates, frequently asked questions, and additional details, please view the full press release here.

Moses Creek Conservation Area

October 16, 2025

A Florida Power & Light (FPL) project will begin in late October to replace overhead power lines with underground lines within the Moses Creek Conservation Area power line easement. This project will require directional boring to install the lines underground. Parts of the red trail, on the north/central portion of the conservation area, will be closed during the project, which is scheduled for the remainder of 2025. Between 15–25 gopher tortoise burrows within the project footprint will require onsite relocation within Moses Creek Conservation Area. FPL’s purpose for the project is to enhance the reliability of its electric grid to help avoid power outages, particularly during storm events. For questions about the power line project, contact FPL Project Engineer Bolivar Lai at (407) 754-8092.

Burrell Lock – temporary closure

July 8, 2025

The Burrell Lock, located in the Upper Ocklawaha River Basin, will reopen for boat traffic on Monday, Feb. 16, following a scheduled maintenance closure. The temporary closure was part of the District’s ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving the performance, safety and reliability of our waterway systems. Crews worked on essential construction and maintenance work to ensure the lock continues operating efficiently for years to come. For more information about the District’s navigational locks, please visit www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/upper-ocklawaha-river/locks-dams/.

Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area

April 11, 2025

The observation platform in the Marsh Road area of Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area is closed until further notice due to the collapse of the approach boardwalk in several places. Closure signs are posted onsite.

For more information about property closures, please visit recreation and lands.

Temporary Website Outages

We want your visit to sjrwmd.com to be a positive and productive experience. At times, we will need to perform routine hardware and software maintenance that may cause some areas of the site to be intermittently off-line. We do apologize for this temporary, but necessary, inconvenience. We are working diligently to quickly restore complete functionality to the site.

Next scheduled outage:

None at this time.

Governing Board

For schedules, agendas, and livestream links visit Governing Board.

Office Closures

No office closures scheduled at this time.