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The Northwest Florida Water Management District announces the availability of funding to help communities across northwest Florida plan for and implement distributed wastewater projects benefitting waterbodies that are currently not attaining water quality standards.

Projects recommended for award are subject to approval by the District’s Governing Board and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

More details on the funding opportunity as well as an application form and funding conditions can be found by clicking here.

The deadline for submitting applications is Sept. 22, 2025.

HAVANA – Sprinkled among the expansive green fields in Jackson County are towering irrigation systems, crop rows stretching to the horizon, and lazily grazing cattle. These are the lands of local producers, farmers and landowners of the largest agricultural area in northwest Florida. Not only do these lands provide food for communities but they are integral to the welfare of the neighboring Jackson Blue Spring, and, ultimately, the Chipola River.

With the aim of protecting these water resources, the Northwest Florida Water Management District, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, launched the Agricultural Cost-Share Program to work with local producers to find ways to reduce the strain on water supplies and lessen nitrate concentrations in groundwater caused by agricultural practices. The program, now in its 13th year, has experienced so much success that its eligibility area has recently been expanded from solely the Jackson Blue Spring Basin Management Plan (BMAP) area to also include the greater Chipola River Springs GWCA.

The focus of the District’s grant program is to provide cost-share funding for eligible equipment purchases and agricultural practices that reduce water use or nitrogen application. Producers can choose from a list of eligible equipment and practices, ranging from nutrient and irrigation management to conservation tillage and livestock management. Some producers may focus on retrofitting their existing irrigation systems with newer, more efficient technology, while others might focus on systems that reduce the amount of fertilizer applied to crops.

A newer part of this program deals with sod-based crop rotation. Originally developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), sod-based crop rotation alternates grass production with legume and row crop production and has shown to improve soil composition and increase crop yields. If cattle are also present and grazing in the same fields, there is the added benefit of cycling nutrients at the surface of the soil profile rather than losing them through leeching below the root zones. Data collected by the UF/IFAS has shown the sod-based rotation farming system has the potential to reduce irrigation water usage and nitrogen usage by 50 percent while increasing crop yields from 15-40 percent.

To achieve maximum efficacy, producers who opt into the sod-based crop rotation grant program will begin a four-year crop rotation plan. Initially, a perennial grass is grown for the first two years, with or without cattle grazing. Then, in the third year, a peanut or other legume crop is planted on top of the grass that has been killed via herbicide treatment. Finally, a crop with higher nitrogen requirements, such as corn or cotton, is planted in the fourth year.

For a producer to receive funding from the Agricultural Cost-Share Program, there are several requirements that must be met for program eligibility. These include having the project site be owned or leased by the producer, it must be located within the Jackson Blue Spring BMAP or the Chipola River Springs GWCA, and it must be in regulatory compliance. Additionally, the producer and project site must be enrolled in the applicable FDACS BMP program, all irrigation projects must have a prior qualifying Mobile Irrigation Lab evaluation, and all equipment purchased under District cost-share within the past five years must be inspected by District staff prior to entering into a new cost-share agreement. Lastly, the project must not be funded from any other cost-share programs.

Once all requirements have been met, producers may apply for cost-share assistance using their Notice of Intent (NOI) once per calendar year for each equipment and practices and/or cover crops, with a September 30 deadline for applications. Under the program, the District will fund 75 percent of qualifying equipment and practices costs with the producers providing the remaining 25 percent. Cover crop reimbursement rates are approximately $55 per acre for single species and $65 per acre for multiple species, limited to 300 acres per NOI. Maximum reimbursement for equipment and practices and cover crops combined is $100,000 per grant funding source.

For those interested in participating in the Agricultural Cost-Share program, or anyone looking for more information, please visit https://nwfwater.com/Water-Resources/Agriculture/.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District has opened the cycle for anticipated grant funding for springs restoration and alternative water supply projects for Fiscal Year 2025-2026.

The District conducts this funding program annually in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to assist local government and utilities (and, in the case of springs projects, agricultural producers).

Projects recommended for award will be subject to approval of state and District FY 2025-2026 budgets and approval by the District’s Governing Board and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Projects eligible for springs restoration funding are capital projects which protect the quality and quantity of water that flows to and from springs as well as land-acquisition projects which protect springs.

Projects eligible for alternative water supply funding are those which help communities plan for and implement water conservation, water reuse, and other alternative water supply and water resource development projects.

For more information on the District’s grant funding opportunities for springs restoration and alternative water supply projects, including applications, funding guidelines, and guidance, please visit https://nwfwater.com/water-resources/funding-programs/.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District issued this Emergency Order for Hurricane Helene.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District has rescheduled its final budget hearing for the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget because of possible impacts from Hurricane Helene. The original hearing was scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26.

The hearing will now take place via telephone conference call at 6:05 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday, Sept. 30.

To participate in the call, dial toll-free 1-888-585-9008. Once prompted, enter the following code to access the call: 778 688 267 # (pound sign).

TALLAHASSEE — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the reappointment of Kellie Ralston and Anna Upton to the Governing Board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

Kellie Ralston
Ralston is the Vice President of Conservation and Public Policy for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. Previously, she served as the Southeast Fisheries Policy Director and Florida Fisheries Policy Director for the American Sportfishing Association. Active in her community, she is currently appointed to the Environmental Regulation Commission, is Chair of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, and is a member of the American Fisheries Advisory Committee. Ralston earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Florida State University.

Anna Upton
Upton is the Chief Executive Officer of The Everglades Trust and the Managing Member of Anna H. Upton, P.L. Active in her community, she is a member of the Florida Bar, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida. She is the recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award and is a four-time recipient of the Super Lawyers Rising Star Award. Upton earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wake Forest University and her juris doctor from Stetson University.

These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

CARRABELLE – Representatives from the Northwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the city of Carrabelle celebrated on Thursday the completion of a project designed to protect water quality in Carrabelle Beach and Apalachicola Bay.

Thanks to nearly $3.7 million in funding from the District and DEP, the city of Carrabelle connected 142 homes in the Lighthouse Estates neighborhood to central sewer services.

The neighborhood is located along U.S. Highway 98 across from the public access to Carrabelle Beach in Franklin County.

“Eliminating this many septic tanks located so closely to Apalachicola Bay is an accomplishment worth celebrating,” said Lyle Seigler, Executive Director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District. “It is important work, which is why Governor DeSantis, the legislature, and DEP supported this project every step of the way. We applaud the leaders in Carrabelle and Franklin County who helped steer this project to completion.”

The Lighthouse Estates project was completed in two phases. The first phase, totaling $851,000, was funded by the District. The second phase, totaling approximately $2.8 million, was funded by the Department of Environmental Protection and federal grants.

The Williford Spring Recreation Site has been re-opened following site improvements to the swimming area.

In addition to Williford Spring, visitors can visit the adjacent Pitt/Sylvan Spring Recreation Area, which is located approximately 1 mile south of Williford Spring and can be accessed from Highway 20. Visitors may also visit Blue Spring Recreation Area, which is located approximately 2.5 miles east of Pitt Spring and can be accessed from Blue Spring North Road off Highway 20.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District announces the anticipated availability of funding to help communities across northwest Florida plan for and implement springs restoration and alternative water supply projects.

Projects recommended for award will be subject to approval of state and District Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budgets and approval by the District’s Governing Board and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Deadline for the submission of applications is February 23, 2024.

For more information, please visit the District’s ‘Funding Programs’ page.