Meetings and announcements
Dec. 5
9–11 a.m.
The District will hold a public hearing at St. Johns River Water Management District headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka, FL 32177, to receive public comment on the District’s 10-year land management plan for Rice Creek Conservation Area.
Comments may be made at the meeting and written comments can be submitted to Brent Bachelder at P.O. Box 1429, Palatka, FL 32178-1429 or email at bbachelder@sjrwmd.com. A draft plan or summary of the plan is available by emailing Bachelder or calling 386-643-1973.
Dec. 11, 2023
10 a.m.
The St. Johns River Water Management District will hold a public meeting on Dec. 11 as part of the peer review process for the surface water model developed in support of the Lake Prevatt minimum flows and levels (MFLs). The purpose of establishing MFLs is to protect Lake Prevatt from significant harm due to groundwater or surface water withdrawals.
In October 2023, the District completed a continuous simulation hydrological model for Lake Prevatt using HSPF. During this public meeting, District staff will review the HSPF model with the peer reviewer and the public. Review of this model is part of the comprehensive Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) peer review process for Lake Prevatt.
This public meeting will also include a site visit. The meeting will be held at:
Wekiwa Springs State Park Recreation Hall
1800 Wekiwa Circle
Apopka, FL 32712
Dec. 13, 2023
10 a.m.
The St. Johns River Water Management District will hold a public meeting on Dec. 13 as part of the peer review process for the surface water model developed in support of the Crystal Chain of Lakes minimum flows and levels (MFLs). The purpose of establishing MFLs is to protect the Crystal Chain of Lakes from significant harm due to groundwater or surface water withdrawals.
In March 2022, the District completed a continuous simulation hydrological model for the Crystal Chain of Lakes using HSPF. During this public meeting, District staff will review the HSPF model with the peer reviewer and the public. Review of this model is part of the comprehensive Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) peer review process for the Crystal Chain of Lake.
The public meeting will include a site visit. A presentation begins at 10 a.m., with the site visit starting at 12:30 p.m.
The meeting will be held at:
Lake Mary City Hall
100 N. Country Club Road
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Important update on using the Lake Washington weir
We are asking for the boating public’s help in preventing damage to Lake Washington. For anyone operating an airboat in this area, it is imperative that you use the airboat crossing in order to prevent future damage to the embankment. Please see our flyer for additional information.
Recreation announcements
Following is a list of properties that are closed or have portions closed due to ongoing land management activities. We regret the temporary inconvenience, but the closures are necessary for public safety. If you have concerns or comments about any of these activities, please contact us at landmgmt@sjrwmd.com or 386-329-4404.
Posted 10-18-2023
A portion of Black Creek Ravines Conservation Area is undergoing sandhill restoration as part of the District’s long-term forest management and ecological restoration/enhancement plan. The 160-acre restoration area is in the sandhill west of the powerline corridor. Pile burning is anticipated to continue through summer 2024, and prescribed burns will be conducted on an 18- to 36-month cycle to keep the habitat healthy and to enhance native sandhill species. Learn more at www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/black-creek-ravines.
Updated 2-7-2023
The area along the L-77 West Levee in the Blue Cypress Water Management Area, also known as Lake Garcia, has been designated an idle speed zone. Signs have been posted on property and are located at the motorboat and airboat ramps of the 512 recreation area. The idle speed zone extends 300 feet east of the L-77 West levee. To assist boaters navigate around the work area and in identifying the no wake zone, the District has installed orange buoys with strobing lights in Lake Garcia.
This idle speed zone has been temporarily established to alleviate erosion at the levee toe and will remain in place for approximately two years as the District works on planned reinforcements to the levee and littoral zone.
See recreational map for other areas to visit in the area.
Posted 6-22-2023
The footbridge on the red trail within the Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area is closed until notice. The footbridge was damaged and needs repairs for the public’s safety. Please see map for location.
Still Road Timber Sale
Posted 3-21-2023
Areas within Heart Island Conservation Area totaling 235 acres (see map) will undergo a pine plantation second thinning timber sale. The objective of this sale is tree density reduction, freeing up growing space for the best quality trees, thus maintaining and improving forest health. Various interior roads may be impacted by the thinning operation. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through February 24, 2024. This work could impact hunting within the Lake George Wildlife Management Area.
Flat Road Timber sale
Posted 9-28-2023
Areas within Heart Island Conservation Area totaling 424 acres (see map) will undergo a first thinning timber sale. The objective of this sale is tree density reduction, freeing up growing space for the best quality trees, thus maintaining and improving forest health. Various interior roads may be impacted by the thinning operation. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through July 12, 2024. This work could impact hunting within the Lake George Wildlife Management Area.
Truck Trail 12 Timber sale
Posted 9-28-2023
Areas within Heart Island Conservation Area totaling 116 acres (see map) will undergo a pine plantation second thinning timber sale. The objective of this sale is tree density reduction, freeing up growing space for the best quality trees, thus maintaining and improving forest health. Various interior roads may be impacted by the thinning operation. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through May 16, 2024. This work could impact hunting within the Lake George Wildlife Management Area.
Deep Creek Timber sale
Posted 9-29-2023
Areas within Heart Island Conservation Area totaling 178 acres (see map) will undergo a pine plantation second thinning timber sale. The objective of this sale is tree density reduction, freeing up growing space for the best quality trees, thus maintaining and improving forest health. Various interior roads may be impacted by the thinning operation. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through November 15, 2024. This work could impact hunting within the Lake George Wildlife Management Area.
Bayard Timber Sale
Posted 11-16-2022
Areas within J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area totaling 81 acres (see map) will undergo a pine and hardwood thinning to facilitate sandhill ecosystem restoration. The group camp entry road may be impacted by the thinning operation. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through August 1, 2023. This work could impact hunting within the Bayard Wildlife Management Area.
County Rd. 224 Timber sale
Posted 9-28-2023
Areas within J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area totaling 161 acres (see map) will undergo a first thinning timber sale. The objective of this sale is tree density reduction, freeing up growing space for the best quality trees, thus maintaining and improving forest health. Various interior roads may be impacted by the thinning operation. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through August 28, 2024. This work could impact hunting within the Bayard Wildlife Management Area.
Posted on 11-15-2023
The District will be conducting maintenance work at Lake Apopka North Shore beginning Nov. 27, 2023, continuing through April 2024. Signs are posted along the roadways within the property to direct visitors around the restoration and maintenance work.
Work to be conducted includes grading and adding a sealant to the end of the Wildlife Drive near the intersection of Interceptor and Lake Level roads to the exit gate on Jones Avenue. This area will be closed to all traffic the week of Dec. 5, 2023. Work will necessitate closing the west side of the Lake Apopka Loop Trail, but there is other access to the property through the Clay Island or Green Mountain entrances. The east side of the Loop Trail will also be closed, with other access to the area along the AB Canal.
Timber Sale
Posted 3-21-2023
An area within Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area totaling 207 acres (see map) will undergo a second thinning timber sale. Some internal roads may be impacted. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. The contract allows the work to be conducted through December 5, 2023. This work could impact hunting within the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area.
Posted 3-16-2022
Effective 3/16/2022, the District has closed a portion of the Levee Trail on Rice Creek Conservation Area due to repairs needed on a foot bridge crossing Rice Creek. The portion will be closed indefinitely but does not affect the entire Levee Trail or the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Posted 7-7-2023
An area within Silver Springs Forest Conservation Area totaling 165 acres (see map) will undergo a fuelwood harvest timber sale. Some internal roads may be impacted. When work is underway, please be careful with the logging trucks entering and exiting the property. The contract allows the work to be conducted through May 18, 2024. This work could impact hunting within the Silver Springs Forest Wildlife Management Area.
Posted 10-2-2023
Beginning Oct. 3, the S-157 structure located along the C-54 canal in St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park will be closed to the public. This closure is necessary as the structure undergoes rehabilitation construction, which is anticipated to continue through July 2024.
During this period, public access to and across the S-157 structure will not be permitted. The restricted area will also include the manatee overlook pavilion. Alternate access points to the state park can be found on the park map available here.
Please monitor this page for updates or contact St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park at 321-953-5005.
Posted 11-3-2023
Beginning Nov. 3, a logging crew will begin operations at the Sunnyhill Restoration Area South Tract and is anticipated to be in the area for at least 30 to 45 days. The recreational trail system will be intermittently affected by the timber operation in multiple locations throughout the property. Trail closure signs will be posted along the trails as needed during the operation.
Temporary website outages
We want your visit to www.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
Office closures
- Dec. 25–26
- Dec. 29
2024
- Jan. 1–2
- Jan. 15
- May 27
- Jul 4
- Sept. 2
- Nov. 11
- Nov. 28–29
- Dec. 25