District work protects and preserves 450,000 acres of wetlands

From The St. Johns River Water Management District

The St. Johns River Water Management District has published its Annual Wetland Activities Report, showing that 449,135 acres of wetlands have been created, protected, enhanced or restored by the district since 1989. This is equivalent to more than 700 square miles of wetlands.

“These results show the success of district programs at protecting, restoring and preserving wetlands, which provide valuable functions that benefit everyone,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “I’m proud of the work of our Environmental Resource Permitting team as they work within the regulatory framework to protect wetlands and water quality.”

The report was presented at Tuesday’s Governing Board meeting and provides a cumulative summary of wetland impacts, mitigation, restoration and protection activities within each county served by the district. Each of the state’s five water management districts develop and distribute an Annual Wetland Activities Report.

St. Johns River Water Management District programs use a variety of methods to protect Florida’s wetlands, including permitting, mitigation, land acquisition, and conservation easements. For example, about 190,000 acres are under regulatory conservation easements, which allow the district to work with permittees to preserve land and protect water resources.

To view the full report and learn more about protecting wetlands, visit www.sjrwmd.com/education/wetlands/.

The St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the district and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The district encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville, and Palm Bay. For more information about the district, please visit www.sjrwmd.com.