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Publications to order, view or download

The District offers a variety of printed publications to help you learn about water conservation, the District’s work, water resource protection and water quality. In addition, many District materials have been designed as electronic download documents so you can access information quickly. In some cases, documents are no longer in print, but we provide electronic versions.

Multimedia materials

Our multimedia section offers a variety of ways to watch and listen to District informational podcasts and videos, choose a beautiful scene from a public land as a computer wallpaper background or view a slide show of multiple images from our screen saver page.

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Technical reports

In the course of their work, District scientists and other environmental professionals study a host of water-related topics and prepare technical reports on their findings. See an overview of each report published by the District.

Spring signals yard work,
change in watering restrictions

By Judy Landers

PALATKA — Spring is here! Time to get outside and enjoy warm breezes, cookouts, playing — not just watching — sports, boating…and yard work.

While the thought of mowing your grass might not send your heart racing with anticipation, many of us gain some satisfaction in tending our yards to set off the beauty of our homes, and to give them a personal, welcoming feel.

If you are among the many Floridians who will be out playing yard commando this spring, remember that one of the most important factors in determining the beauty and health of your lawn is water.

Not too much water, that is.

Your lawn is like a junk food junkie who happily scarfs down Twinkies, but doesn’t look or feel so hot afterward.

Likewise, too much water will lead to an unattractive and unhealthy lawn, with shallow roots and a proliferation of weeds and pests.

This year, give your lawn what it really wants — just the right amount of water. The best way to do this is to follow the St. Johns River Water Management District’s mandatory watering restrictions for warmer weather, in effect during daylight saving time (March 14 to Nov. 7, 2010). Here’s how:

• If you have an in-ground irrigation system, set the controls to comply with the watering restrictions, so that you water:
  • No more than your two designated days per week
  • Before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., and
  • No more than one hour per zone to deliver a maximum of ¾” of water
• To determine how long to water, place several tuna-sized cans in the irrigation spray and see how long it takes them to fill with water to a depth of ¾”.
• If you water with a sprinkler, follow these same restrictions.
• If you water with a hand-held hose, you may water on any day if you use an automatic shut-off nozzle. But do not water between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• If your irrigation system was installed after May 1991, it must be equipped with a rain sensor shut-off device that prevents the system from watering during or after a substantial rainfall. Check to make sure the sensor is not positioned under heavy vegetation or a roof that will prevent rain from reaching it, and remove debris from the cylinder that houses the sensor at least once per year.

Other ways to save water outdoors include:

• Make sure irrigation system sprinkler heads are not broken, and are aimed at the area of lawn you want to water, not sidewalks or pavement.
• If you are doing any re-landscaping, check out the District’s guide to waterwise planting to determine the right plants for your light, soil and moisture conditions, floridaswater.com/waterwiselandscapes.
• When mowing your lawn, mow with a sharp blade and cut no more than one-third of the grass length at one time to encourage grass roots to grow deeper.
• Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from sidewalks and driveways rather than a hose.
• Collect water in a rain barrel to use to water your plants. Rain barrels are easy to construct following directions available from the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program at http://cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu.

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