District reopens most lands after Hurricane Nicole; Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive remains closed to vehicles

Over the weekend, St. Johns River Water Management District staff were busy working to assist our local partners with their recovery efforts and completing post-storm inspections on all District-owned lands following Hurricane Nicole.

Three staff members of the District’s Pump Strike Team were deployed to Flagler County to provide pumping equipment to our partners in the county. The latter was working to alleviate flooding in and around the Marineland Acres area.

Additionally, District staff were able to inspect all its conservation lands, allowing the public access to the various recreational amenities over the weekend. Today, all lands are open for public use following Hurricane Nicole, except for two properties.

Those properties are:

• Canaveral Marsh Conservation Area (Brevard County)
• Seminole Ranch Conservation Area (Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties)

District staff will conduct a follow-up inspection of the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (Orange County) later this week.

“The downed powerline across the exit of the drive has been repaired, and we are hoping to see the water levels drop throughout the week,” said the St. Johns River Water Management District's Director of Division of Water and Land Resources Erich Marzolf. “We know the drive is a popular weekend destination, and we will re-open it as soon as conditions allow.”

While most properties are open for public use, some activities may be limited. Before venturing out, visitors are encouraged to check the District’s website to see if there are any restrictions in place.

For the most up-to-date list of open District properties, visit our website at www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/announcements/. 

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 Apopka, Jacksonville, and Palm Bay. For more information about the district, please visit www.sjrwmd.com.