Newsroom

The District is conducting a 230-acre prescribed fire on the northwestern 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 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.

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 conducting a 35.3-acre prescribed fire today on the northwestern portion of Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area in Indian River County, south of the west entrance off State Road 60. 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.

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.