The district’s Governing Board Tuesday approved a tentative budget that reduces the millage rate for taxpayers for a sixth consecutive year while continuing to provide significant funds for programs and projects to ensure sustainable water resources, increase water conservation and protect water quality in springs and other priority water bodies.

While rainfall has not reached record-breaking levels, June continued a trend of higher-than-average rainfall for counties within the district. A full hydrological report was presented during today’s governing board meeting.

The acquisition of a 240-acre parcel in Marion County will help the district protect water resources by eliminating an outparcel near the center of the district’s Sunnyhill Restoration Area. The land purchase was approved at today’s Governing Board meeting.

The city of Eustis is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed expansion of its wastewater treatment plant. As part of the event, attendees are also invited to tour the facility, which increased treatment capacity by one million gallons per day (mgd) and will also provide an additional 1.0 mgd of reclaimed water.

Community leaders joined together in Eustis today to celebrate the completion of a wastewater treatment plant expansion that will serve new development in the area as well as provide more reclaimed water.

Teachers have just one more month, until Sept. 7, to apply for a Blue School Grant for education projects to enhance students’ knowledge about Florida’s water resources. The district is offering up to $20,000 in grants for education projects that promote hands-on learning about water resources.

The district will hold a public workshop to discuss the peer review of Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) for water bodies within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) area. This workshop will include discussion of surface water model peer review plans for MFLs water bodies within the Wekiva Basin.

Despite July’s patchy rainfall, 12-month rainfall totals remain above average across the district. A report outlining hydrologic conditions was presented today to the district’s Governing Board.

The district will present construction details for one of the dispersed water storage pilot projects in progress in the Indian River Lagoon drainage area at a meeting Aug. 22.

If nature is your thing, geocaching is a great way to explore some of the scenic and unspoiled public lands owned by the district, enjoy the outdoors and celebrate International Geocache Day on Saturday, Aug. 18.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is accepting applications through Sept. 14, 2018, from farmers and ranchers interested in seeking funding through the Agricultural Cost-share Program for agricultural projects that promote water conservation and reduction of nutrient runoff in the Silver Springs springshed.

The district is reopening the eastern portion of the Lake Apopka Loop Trail on Sept. 1, which experienced damage due to Hurricane Irma.

As a tropical wave is forecast to approach Florida over the Labor Day weekend, district staff are closely monitoring water levels in the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers and advising homeowners to prepare for potential impacts from possible heavy rainfall.

The district is accepting applications through Oct. 18 for Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) communities and innovative projects to share in cost-share funding that supports the agency’s water resource protection mission.

As we enter into the peak of hurricane season, we want all residents to have access to the information they need to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe. Florida is especially vulnerable to flooding, given its location and many waterways, and that means Floridians must plan and prepare to weather the inevitable storms.