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District proclaims April 2020 as Springs Protection Awareness Month

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For the seventh consecutive year, the St. Johns River Water Management District's Governing Board has approved a proclamation designating April as Springs Protection Awareness Month.

From the St. Johns River Water Management District

The annual designation helps increase awareness about the importance of Florida’s springs and encourages residents and stakeholders to participate in the protection of springs.

“This annual proclamation underscores our Governing Board’s ongoing commitment to science-based springs protection,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “During the past six years, the District has co-funded 126 projects to protect our Outstanding Florida Springs, contributing toward $202 million in springs protection cooperative funding projects.”

Through its cost-share programs, the district has contributed a total of $49 million since 2014 toward vital springs protection projects, resulting in more than 90 million gallons per day of groundwater withdrawal offsets and alternative water supply. These projects have also reduced total nitrogen loading in priority springsheds by more than 1.1 million pounds per year and total phosphorus loading by 170,000 pounds per year.

Sen. Rob Bradley of Orange Park and Rep. Charles “Chuck” Clemons of Newberry recently introduced resolutions (SR 1930 and HR 8043) recognizing April 2020 as Springs Protection Awareness Month in Florida. Since 2013, water management districts across the state and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have joined the Legislature in recognizing the importance of springs and encouraging behaviors that will enhance springs protection.

Visit www.sjrwmd.com/springs for more information about the district’s work to protect springs.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

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.

St. Johns River Water Management District, Water

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