Draft plan features projects to help meet water supply needs

Sept. 14, 2023

After months of gathering data, soliciting project ideas, and coordinating with neighboring water management districts and stakeholders, a draft update to the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (NFRWSP) is now available for review and public comment.

The draft plan is available by visiting the Partnership website at northfloridawater.com/watersupplyplan/index.html, which includes a comment form. In addition to accepting written comments through the website, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) will hold two public workshops. A Sept. 20 workshop will be held at SJRWMD headquarters in Palatka, FL. The workshop will begin at 2 p.m. with a posterboard session followed by an in-person and online presentation of the draft 2023 NFRWSP at 2:45 p.m. A Sept. 21 workshop will be held at the SRWMD headquarters in Live Oak, FL. The workshop will begin at 5:45 p.m. with a posterboard session followed by an in-person and online presentation of the draft 2023 NFRWSP at 6:30 p.m. The townhall-style workshops will feature a brief presentation with an opportunity for stakeholders to view posterboards, ask questions, and engage with staff.

The comment form and workshops are just the latest in the process to ensure stakeholders have an opportunity to be a part of the planning process. To compile this latest update, the Districts held technical workshops in November 2021 and reviewed comments on the scientific methods used to update population and water demand projections. In November 2022, the Districts held constraint assessment workshops and reviewed comments on the methods and results used to determine the effects of the NFRWSP on water users and related natural systems. In spring 2023, the Districts solicited water supply project options, which have been incorporated into the draft NFRWSP.

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The Santa Fe River.

The Santa Fe River.

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