Upcoming Water Meetings in Florida

Saturday June 23
Stand Up for Silver Springs and Florida’s Waters
Sponsored by the Florida Conservation Coalition
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Silver River State Park, Ocala FL

Concerned Florida residents and organizations will gather on Saturday to learn about imperiled waterways and how they can be protected.The FCC was founded by former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham (D) and other organizations in 2011 to campaign for the protection and sustainable management of Florida’s natural environment and water resources. Former Fla. Gov. Graham will speak at the event with former state Sen. Lee Constantine (R). Other guest speakers include Bob Knight, Jim Stevenson, and John Moran. Whitey Markle and the Swamprooters will provide live music.

Monday June 25
First meeting of north Florida water supply stakeholder representatives
North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership
6 p.m.
St. Johns District’s Governing Board Room, 4049 Reid St., Palatka FL

The stakeholder committee is an advisory body that will offer viewpoints of stakeholder groups with the St. Johns River and Suwannee River water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help address the region’s water supply issues. The partnership was established by the Suwannee River Water Management District, the St. Johns River Water Management District, and DEP as an initiative to protect natural resources and ensure cost-effective and sustainable water supplies in north Florida. The initiative seeks to improve program coordination and communication among water managers, local governments, concerned individuals and other stakeholders by working together to protect the shared resources of the Floridan aquifer system.

Thursday June 28
Central Florida Water Initiative Open House
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lakefront Marina Building,
1104 Lakeshore Blvd. St. Cloud FL

The public is invited to an information session to learn more about the Central Florida Water Initiative and how to become involved in the planning process. The information session will be an informal, open-house format with no formal presentation.

The Central Florida Water Initiative is a collaboration of agencies that address water issues in southern Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, and Seminole counties.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is part of the initiative, which is focused on water resource planning, development and management for the central Florida region. Other participating agencies are the South Florida and Southwest Florida water management districts, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and regional water utilities.