Two of North Florida’s water management districts sent releases reminding residents to conserve water due to continued rainfall deficits and ongoing drought conditions throughout the region.

According to a press release sent by the Suwannee River Water Management District on Wednesday, the Suwannee District stated that it issued a water shortage advisory in January and hydrological conditions have not improved since.

In February, the Suwannee District released its January hydrological report, which showed the Districtwide rainfall deficit at 14.78 inches for the previous 12 months ending on Jan. 31. The report also stated that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) three-month seasonal outlook suggested above normal temperatures along with below normal precipitation from February through April. 

The Suwannee District includes all of Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor and Union counties and parts of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Jefferson, Levy and Putnam counties. All counties within the District remain at varying stages of drought.

On Tuesday, the St. Johns River Water Management District declared a Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage declaration for portions of Northeast and Central Florida.

The St. Johns District includes portions of Baker, Bradford and Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties and portions of Alachua and Marion counties.

The St. Johns District staff evaluated groundwater levels, river flows, rainfall totals and current drought conditions before recommending the Modified Phase II declaration. The

With the start of daylight saving time on March 8, the District is limiting landscape irrigation from two days per week to one.

All water users are also encouraged to “voluntarily reduce water use and conserve water to the maximum extent possible. Wasteful and unnecessary water use is prohibited. Water users are also encouraged to proactively plan for extended dry conditions, and the potential for additional mandatory restrictions should the water shortage advance to a more severe phase.”

Suwannee District officials are urging residents, businesses, agricultural producers, and visitors to maximize water conservation, including the following practices:

• Limit water use wherever possible, indoors and outdoors.
• Check for and repair leaks in plumbing and irrigation systems.
• Postpone non-essential water uses, including vehicle washing, pressure washing, and new landscape plantings.
• Restrict lawn and landscape irrigation to no more than once per week and operate systems only as long as necessary. Current irrigation rules allow odd-numbered addresses to water on Saturdays, even-numbered addresses to water on Sundays, and non-residential addresses to water on Tuesdays.
• Permitted water users should ensure all required conservation measures are fully implemented and prepare contingency plans if additional restrictions become necessary. The advisory provides time to evaluate operations and consider improvements such as upgrading inefficient irrigation systems, shifting irrigation schedules, or reducing high-volume applications. Cost-share opportunities may be available through the District to support long-term efficiency improvements.

The Suwannee District also encourages golf courses to postpone overseeding activities until conditions improve.

For more information on the Suwannee District, visit MySuwanneeRiver.com, or for information on the St. John District, visit sjrwmd.com.