Tag Archives: U.S. Drought Monitor

Packet: with Public Hearing on Modified Phase II Water Shortage Order @ SRWMD 2026-04-14

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Update 2026-04-14: The promoters bear the burden of proof about WFNF –WWALS to SRWMD 2026-04-13.

Update 2026-04-13: 10 AM that same day, three hours drive away in Palatka: Packet: Governing Board –SJRWMD 2026-04-14.

SRWMD is avoiding going to a Phase III Water Shortage Order by modifying their Phase II Order of last month.

[Packet: with Public Hearing on Modified Phase II Water Shortage Ordinance @ SRWMD 2026-04-14]
Packet: with Public Hearing on Modified Phase II Water Shortage Ordinance @ SRWMD 2026-04-14

The new Order does add some mandatory requirements, on agricultural uses, golf course irrigation, and utilities.

There is nothing on the agenda directly about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the SRWMD and SJRWMD plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin to rehydrate wetlands and raise levels and flows in rivers and springs, and also so Jacksonville’s water utility JEA can meet the letter of 2021 SB 64 that says it can’t keep outflowing treated wastewater into the St. Johns River starting in 2032. But this Modified Phase II Order is related.

For much more about WFNF, including the letters and resolutions against it by towns, counties, and regional entities, as well as who you can contact and a petition, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Be on time by 9 AM, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at SRWMD HQ, 9225 County Road 49 Live Oak, FL, United States, Florida 32060, to comment at this meeting of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD).

While the agenda says there will be a Public Hearing about this Order, nothing in the agenda says that will call on members of the public to speak on that agenda item.

WATER RESOURCES
Amy Brown, Deputy Executive Director

  1. Water Resources Division Updates
  2. Public Hearing for Approval of Order Number 26-003, Modified Phase II Water Shortage

So best to follow the letter of the SRWMD policy in the agenda (see below) and fill in a comment card saying you want to speak on item number 10.

If you can’t go, you can watch the meeting live or later on the District’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@SRWMD

Somebody may also want to examine the agenda of the Audit Committee Meeting, which will happen “Following Board Meeting”. Maybe you can glean some clues as to what the District has spent on WFNF thus far.

https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1744

Also, given the Exceptional Drought that covers almost all of the Suwannee River Basin, Continue reading →

Phase II Water Shortage and Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

Update 2026-03-10: SRWMD livestreams its meetings on YouTube. This one will be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXdoI5qrgXQ

There is nothing on the SRWMD Board agenda about Water First North Florida (WFNF) for 9 AM this Tuesday, March 10, 2026. But there are several items related to that scheme to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

If you can, please do go to the SRWMD meeting and speak. Don’t forget these other meetings:

[Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10]
Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

The SRWMD agenda for tomorrow has a Public Hearing about declaring a Phase II Severe Water Shortage. That declaration is watered down, with few actual requirements. Although not as much as the Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage already declared by SJRWMD, which appears to eliminate all mandatory water restrictions.

Also on the SRWMD agenda, perhaps ironically, are

  • a “Water Conservation Month Proclamation” and
  • a “Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation”.

And of course the monthly SRWMD Hydrologic Conditions Report, which will detail how bad the drought is.

Plus you never know what will be presented in “WATER RESOURCES, Amy Brown, Deputy Executive Director, 9. Water Resources Division Updates.” Continue reading →

Water Shortage Advisory Order on agenda @ SRWMD 2026-01-13

A Drought Warning is finally on the agenda for the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD).

But only a Phase I Warning, which is purely voluntary and non-regulatory. A Phase II severe water shortage advisory would contain “Voluntary and Regulatory measures to reduce demand” such as are “never fun” (see below).

They meet at 9 AM, Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at their headquarters, 9225 CR 49, Live Oak, FL 32060.

[Water Shortage Advisory Order, on agenda @ SRWMD 2026-01-13, Phase I: Non regulatory, Prepare for Phase II]
Water Shortage Advisory Order, on agenda @ SRWMD 2026-01-13, Phase I: Non regulatory, Prepare for Phase II

Back in November I asked “Why hasn’t SRWMD declared a drought yet?”

In November, SRWMD had a Drought Workshop and WWALS published their presentation slides. I noted: “Thanks to SRWMD Board members Charles Keith, Larry Sessions, and William Lloyd, they did talk about possibly instituing limits on water withdrawals, considering that the past 10 years have been the hottest on record.”

Also, “SRWMD Executive Director Hugh Thomas did note that the water withdrawal permits SRWMD issues have standard conditions that can require limits on water withdrawals. But ‘it’s never fun to engage with the permittee and say, hey, you’re going to have to cut back because we’re in a water shortage period.‘“

And a month later maybe they’re finally going to at least issue a warning.

The key agenda item is “12. Water Shortage Advisory Order Number 26-001”

Also notice item “11. Hydrologic Conditions Report” If there’s a big rain before Tuesday and that Report shows easing, SRWMD might have an excuse not to issue the Order. You can see previous such Reports here:
https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/Archive.aspx?ADID=1730

Here’s a WWALS writeup on the most recent published Report, from November 30, 2025.
https://wwals.net/?p=69034

And pay attention to agenda item “10. Water Resources Division Updates” Continue reading →

Hydrologic Conditions Report –SRWMD 2025-11-30

Update 2025-12-17: Drought Workshop Presentation –SRWMD 2025-12-09.

Every county in the Suwannee River Basin is in drought, according to SRWMD’s own Hydrologic Conditions Report for November 30, 2025 presented in their Board meeting of December 9, 2025.

But not droughty enough for SRWMD to declare even a voluntary Drought Warning, according to the Drought Workshop after the Board meeting. I have sent in a FOIA request for the Workshop slides. Both meetings are in the SRWMD YouTube post for 2025-12-09.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LDIIdFqxaY

Meanwhile, here is the SRWMD Hydrologic Conditions Report for November 2025, plus some related information.

Such as SRWMD actually does have “Year-Round Lawn & Landscape Irrigation Measures,” but nobody seems to know about them. And that page does not seem to include agricultural, mining, or water bottling water use. Continue reading →

Packet: SRWMD Board plus Workshop on Drought Conditions 2025-12-09

Update 2025-12-17: Drought Workshop Presentation –SRWMD 2025-12-09.

Update 2025-12-14: Hydrologic Conditions Report –SRWMD 2025-11-30.

Maybe you’d like to come to the Workshop on “Drought Conditions and Review of the District’s Water Shortage Process” that the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) is holding. That’s this Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 9 AM in Live Oak, after the SRWMD Board meeting.

If I’m not mistaken, a drought declaration by the Suwannee River Water Management District would mean numerous water withdrawal permit holders would have to reduce their withdrawals.

[Packet: SRWMD Board, Live Oak, FL 2025-12-09, plus Workshop on Drought Conditions]
Packet: SRWMD Board, Live Oak, FL 2025-12-09, plus Workshop on Drought Conditions

Also, Board agenda item 26. Water Resources Division Updates, will probably include an update on the Water First North Florida billion-dollar aquifer recharge project. It would pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville to wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, and from there into sinks to recharge Ichetucknee Headspring and maybe others. Limiting water withdrawals would be less expensive and more effective, without risking contaminating our springs and aquifers with PFAS and other chemicals that wastewater treatment does not remove.

Two weeks ago I asked, Why hasn’t SRWMD declared a drought yet?

Already then, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the entire Suwannee River Basin in both Georgia and Florida was in drought.
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?Southeast

Conditions have only gotten worse since then. Continue reading →