The St. Johns River and Suwannee River water management districts on Wednesday approved Water First North Florida, a regional initiative designed to restore flows to the region’s iconic springs and rivers and ensure a sustainable water supply for generations to come.

The St. Johns River and Suwannee River water management districts approved Water First North Florida, a collaborative effort to restore river and spring flows and secure long-term water supplies for the region. The initiative will recharge the Floridan Aquifer with high-quality reclaimed water while supporting ecosystem restoration, economic growth, and community water needs.

Rainfall in October was highly varied across the St. Johns River Water Management District (District), showing greater differences than typical for this time of year. While higher rainfall is usually expected along the coast, this month brought extreme contrasts, with peak totals exceeding 22 inches in parts of Brevard County and less than half an inch recorded in some of Baker County.

The District is conducting a 35-acre prescribed fire on the northeastern portion of Lake Monroe Conservation Area in Volusia County, situated in the Middle St. Johns River Basin. Its purpose is to reduce hazardous fuel loads, improve habitat for the Florida scrub-jay and maintain fire dependent natural communities.

The District is conducting a 663-acre prescribed fire today on the northwestern portion of Blue Cypress Conservation Area in Indian River County, along Kenansville Lake, south of the Kenansville boat ramp. The burn’s purpose is to reduce hazardous fuel loads and maintain fire-dependent natural communities.

The District has been awarded two major grants through the state’s Alternative Water Supply Grant Program, announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis at an event this week in Tampa. The awards include $15 million for the Taylor Creek Reservoir Improvements Project and $10 million to support the new Water First North Florida project. These investments will help strengthen water-supply reliability and support long-term growth across central and northeast Florida.

November brought unusually dry conditions across the District, with much of the region seeing little rainfall. Only limited areas in Brevard, Volusia and Seminole counties recorded more than an inch of rain, while parts of Duval and other northern counties saw none — a rarity documented only four times in the period of record at longstanding National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stations in Jacksonville and Orlando.

The District is now accepting applications on behalf of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the 2027 Cost-Share Program. The District works closely with the DEP, local governments and private partners to support projects that protect and improve water resources across the District’s 18-county service area.

While December is historically the second-driest month across the St. Johns River Water Management District, rainfall this past month was below-average and precipitation remained below normal in 17 of 18 counties. The drier conditions contributed to declining aquifer levels and varied surface water flows across the region.

The District is conducting a 291-acre prescribed fire on the north portion of Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park in Orange County, situated in the Middle St. Johns River Basin. Its purpose is to reduce hazardous fuel loads, improve habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker and maintain fire dependent natural communities.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is conducting a 54-acre prescribed burn on the River Styx tract of Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve in Alachua County, situated in the Upper Ocklawaha River Basin. The burn’s purpose is to reduce hazardous fuel loads and maintain fire-dependent natural communities.