Suwannee River Water Management District | RiverFronts e-Newsletter

RiverFronts text with an image of three people kayaking

A boater enjoying Rock Bluff Springs in the early morning.

J.H. Anderson Jr. Memorial Park Grand Opening May 31

Bring the entire family to the grand opening of J.H. Anderson Jr. Memorial Park on May 31 at 10:30 a.m. The park encompasses 170-acres along the Suwannee River and provides land access to Rock Bluff Spring.

The District and Alachua Conservation Trust will be celebrating the grand opening with a ribbon cutting, guided hikes, swimming and plant walks. Find more information about the grand opening on our website.

Individuals posing in front of a red ribbon with a sign saying "thank you" to the Suwannee River Water Management District.

New Project Kicking Off in Dixie County and the Town of Cross City

The District is kicking off a new project with Dixie County and the Town of Cross City to provide clean drinking water to residents and increase water conservation efforts.

The project will improve public safety by providing clean drinking water to residents through the expansion of the town's main water line to residents whose wells had known concentrations of arsenic.

More than 60 shallow wells for household use will be removed to provide residents with safe water supply from a centralized water system.

This project is funded through the District's grant program which is part of the District's on-going effort to serve our local communities by improving water quality, conservation and infrastructure.

Kayaking on the blue and brown water of the Santa Fe River on a clear, sunny day.

What is a MFL?

A MFL, or minimum flow and minimum water level, is required by Florida law to ensure adequate protection is provided to our water bodies, including rivers, springs and lakes. These levels set minimum requirements for water levels on specific water bodies that sustain the resources and habitat, including recreation, wildlife, fish passage, vegetation, wetland health and more.

Established MFLs are used as a basis for managing withdrawals of groundwater and surface water, for reviewing proposed surface water management and storage systems and stormwater management systems, and for imposing water shortage restrictions.

The District maintains an annual MFL schedule and is set to implement a new MFL on the Lower Santa Fe/Ichetucknee River by the end of 2019.

To learn more about MFLs, visit our website.

District Governing Board member, Kevin Brown, speaking at the CARE Celebration.

2019 CARES Celebration

Congratulations to the 19th Annual Suwannee CARES Celebration recipients! These farmers were awarded for their implementation of best manage practices to ensure good stewardship of natural resources.

Thank you to our partnering agencies and their staff for planning, hosting and participating in this event: This Farm CARES, Florida Farm Bureau Federation, UF IFAS NFREC - Suwannee Valle, and Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

For more information about 2019 CARES Celebration, visit This Farm CARES.

Meet Our Team

At the District, our staff members go above and beyond to protect our natural systems and help the public. Greg Trotter is the perfect example of how our staff members succeed at their jobs.

Greg is from Live Oak, FL and is an Engineer III in the Water Use and Water Well Program at the District. Greg has been working for the District for about 3 years now and started his career as an Engineer with the Office of Minimum Flows and Minimum Water Levels. After working in that program area for a while, Greg wanted to learn more about the responsibilities on the District and was transferred to his current position where he provides a fresh perspective.

Greg reviews water use permits to ensure that each applicant receives the water they need without negatively impacting the water resources. Interacting with the public and helping local producers use water efficiently is only one aspect about Greg’s job that he enjoys.