Meetings and announcements
No meetings scheduled at this time.
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.
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 2-6-2023
The District has closed the airboat cross-over on L-77 west for approximately two months while repair work is ongoing. This crossing is located west of the 512 recreation area. The closure is for the public’s safety. During the construction, truck will be hauling materials and crossing the airboat cross-over, making it necessary to place a load of fill on the cross-over to protect it from damage
Southside Timber Sale
Posted 11-16-2022
Areas within Clark Bay Conservation Area totaling 181 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. The white hiking trail 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 Tiger Bay Wildlife Management Area.
Posted 4-27-2023
Public access to the pavilions, kayak launch, and south trail head at the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area (Stick Marsh parking lot) are closed due to construction and repairs to the S-2 structure. This property is adjacent to the Blue Cypress Conservation Area and Three Forks Conservation Area. Public access will be permitted over the weekends but will be closed during the weekdays through the end of May. The northern trailhead and all other boat ramps are still accessible from this recreation area.
Posted 5-10-2023
Work on powerlines at Fort Drum begins May 15, 2023, and is anticipated to continue through November 2023. Contractors will be working Monday through Saturday. During this time, public access through the east gate will be restricted to Sundays due to heavy construction truck traffic along the levee.
Bullpen Timber Sale
Posted 11-16-2022
Areas within Heart Island Conservation Area totaling 288 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 June 3, 2023. This work could impact hunting within the Lake George Wildlife Management Area.
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.
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.
Updated on 5-11-2023
The District is performing road maintenance on the Lake Apopka Loop Trail for the next two months. The Loop Trail will not be closed, but visitors should use caution when going through work areas. This work will not impact the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Please use caution in the area.
Work areas with the Lake Apopka North Shore and temporary closures include:
- Loop Trail from the Lake Level to the Duda Crossroads – From approximately May 10 to June 1 the District will close this portion of the Loop Trail to remove old pumps and pipes under the road.
- Loop Trail from Magnolia Park to Conrad Road – Starting June 5, this section of the Loop Trail will be closed for two weeks for the public’s safety due to the road being narrow and without a shoulder.
- Welland Road — Beginning May 1, a District contractor will be installing an “erosion sock” along the levee slope of Welland Road, from the Bailey bridge, north for 3,000 feet. Work is expected to be done between May 1 and June 30. The contractor will work Monday through Thursday (unless there is an unavoidable circumstance) so that the Wildlife Drive can be opened Friday through Sunday. Welland Road and Roach Road will be closed to hikers and bikers during the week (Monday through Thursday) for the duration of the project. Please use caution in the area and follow any posted detour signs. Updates will be posted to this page as needed.
- Laughlin Canal —The District will install rip-rap along the Laughlin Canal, between Roach Road and McDonald Canal Road. Work is expected to be done between May 1 and June 5. Crews will work Monday through Thursday, so the wildlife Drive can be opened Friday through Sunday. Laughlin Road will be closed to hikers and bikers during the week (Monday through Thursday) for the duration of the project. Please use caution in the area and follow any posted detour signs. Updates will be posted to this page as needed.
- Interconnect pump station — The District will remove old pumps and pipes under the road. This work will occur in the next four weeks following completion of the Duda Crossroads project. Lake Level Canal Road will be closed for a day while the pipes are removed from under the road. Work will be during the week and will not affect the Wildlife Drive.
- Historic Pump House — The District will be working on the Historic Pump House through the end of May, finishing the installation of electric pumps. Work will occur Monday through Thursday, and should not impact the Wildlife Drive, but the parking area and restroom on the north side of the building will remain closed. Work should not impact hikers and bikers except for temporary closures when using cranes to remove or install pumps.
Updated on 5-11-2023
Multiple areas within Lake George Conservation Area totaling 150 acres will undergo a 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. This work could impact hunting within the Lake George Wildlife Management Area.
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.
Marked Thinning FY-2020
Posted 9-23-2021
Areas within Silver Springs Forest Conservation Area totaling 187 acres (see map) will undergo a second thinning marked 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 June 3, 2023. This work could impact hunting within the Silver Springs Forest Wildlife Management Area.
Silver Springs 2021 Timber Sale
Updated on 3-21-2023
Areas within Silver Springs Forest Conservation Area totaling 380 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 June 30, 2023. This work could impact hunting within the Silver Springs Forest Wildlife Management Area.
Posted 2-20-2023
Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and the Three Forks Conservation Area are undergoing a drawdown as part of a collaborative habitat restoration project with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the St. Johns Water Management Area. The drawdown will be conducted from February to August 2023.
The restoration work includes planting native aquatic plants, bulrush and spatterdock, during the drawdown in the southern portion of the reservoir. The St. Johns Water Management Area boat ramp at the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and the Thomas O. Lawton Recreation Area boat ramp at Three Forks Conservation Area will remain accessible during this project. Please be aware that shallower water can create underwater hazards. Boaters should operate at slower speeds and proceed with caution.
Acree Road Timber Sale
Posted 3-21-2023
Areas within Thomas Creek Conservation Area totaling 167 acres (see map) will undergo a combination a timber sale. 63 acres of mature pine plantation will be clearcut and replanted. The objective of this clearcut is to reduce wildland fire fuel loading as well as to harvest trees that have stagnated in their growth. 104 acres of 17 year old pine plantation will undergo a first thinning. The objective of this thinning is tree density reduction, freeing up growing space for the best quality trees, thus maintaining and improving forest health.. Contracts allow the work to be conducted through February 24, 2024. This work could impact walk-in hunting within the Thomas Creek Wildlife Management Area – King’s Road Unit
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
- July 4
- Sept. 4
- Nov. 10
- Nov. 23-24
- Dec. 25
- Jan. 1, 2024
Southern Recreation Public Meeting
Documents from the May 16, 2023, meeting of the District’s Southern Recreation Public Meeting are available on this page for 30 days (until June 20). After 30 days, the materials will be available through the District Clerk’s office by calling 386-329-4127 or email clerk@sjrwmd.com.