As Florida braces for impacts from TD 13, readers can access real-time updates on water levels at monitoring stations within the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
Here are other helpful links to help track storm conditions:
Southeast River Forecast Center: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Florida Department of Emergency Management: http://www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp
National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/
The Northwest Florida Water Management District has re-opened its recreation sites and camp sites previously closed by concerns from COVID-19.
The list of openings includes Williford Spring and Pitt and Sylvan springs day-use recreation sites. The sites at Williford and Pitt and Sylvan springs will resume normal operating hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week).
It also includes the following reservable camp sites:
Reservations can be made by visiting the Camping Reservation System. (Note: Use Google Chrome to make reservations.)
CDC guidelines on social distancing and group sizes (no more than 50 visitors) will be enforced.
In anticipation of heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Cristobal, the Northwest Florida Water Management District is closing its reservation campsites in the west region through at least Tuesday, June 9. The campsites closed are those along within the Escambia River Water Management Area.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District is re-opening camping sites at 17 recreation sites. These sites are located within the Escambia River, Choctawhatchee River and Holmes Creek, Chipola River, Apalachicola River, and Econfina Creek water management areas.
Individual sites at each of the locations can be reserved using the District’s Camping Reservation System, beginning Friday, May 22. (Note: Use Google Chrome to make reservations.)
A list of the sites re-opening:
Escambia River WMA: Bluff Springs, Cotton Lake, Keyser Landing, Mystic Springs (Sites 1-8 only), Webb Landing, and Williams Lake.
Choctawhatchee and Holmes Creek WMA: Boynton Landing, Cotton Landing, Dead River Landing, and Spurling Landing.
Chipola River WMA: Christoff Landing.
Apalachicola River WMA: Florida River Island.
Econfina Creek WMA: Pine Ridge Equestrian Trial, Walsingham Campsite, Walsingham Park, White Oak Landing, and Tom Johns Landing.
In accordance with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order restricting the gathering of large crowds, the following group camp sites remain closed: Rattlesnake Lake North (Econfina Creek WMA), Sparkleberry Pond (Econfina Creek WMA), Lost Lake (Choctawhatchee and Holmes Creek WMA), Mystic Springs Site 9 only (Escambia River WMA), and Otto Hill (Perdido River WMA).
Additionally, the District has closed Seven Runs recreation site within the Choctawhatchee and Holmes Creek Water Management Area for renovations.
HAVANA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District is re-opening most of its day-use recreation sites beginning today (Monday, May 4).
The sites had been closed in accordance with Executive Order 20-91 issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month.
Visitors to the day-use recreation sites must adhere to CDC guidelines on social distancing and group size.
Recreation facilities at the Pitt/Sylvan and Williford spring sites along Econfina Creek and Cypress Spring along Holmes Creek will remain closed.
The Pipes and Fillingim landings along the Perdido River will have limited parking available, but paddlecraft launches will be open.
For a complete list of site openings and closures, please visit: https://www.nwfwp.sgssys.info/Lands/Recreation/Recreation-Site-Closures.
In accordance with Executive Order 20-91 issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Northwest Florida Water Management District is closing all recreation sites with managed facilities until at least April 30, 2020.
Previously, the District closed each of its reservation campsites and developed recreation areas beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, for 60 days. This includes picnic areas, swimming areas, and other developed recreation sites.
The Executive Order closes sites with managed, or shared, facilities such as picnic tables, pavilions, restrooms, etc.
For a complete list of sites closed by the Executive Order, please visit: https://nwfwp.sgssys.info/Lands/Recreation/Recreation-Site-Closures.
Please note: The Blue Spring Recreation Area on Econfina Creek and Econfina Creek Canoe Launch are both active construction sites. No trespassing is allowed.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District has instructed its staff to work remotely as much as possible to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Beginning Tuesday, March 17, District offices in Midway and DeFuniak Springs will be closed to the public. District staff will be available by telephone or email.
In light of guidelines issued by the federal government and the State of Florida regarding the gathering of large crowds, the District has also closed the following recreation sites until further notice: Pitt/Sylvan springs, Williford Spring, The Pipes recreation site, and Fillingim Landing.
For a list of the status of all recreation sites in the District, please visit: https://nwfwp.sgssys.info/Lands/Recreation/Recreation-Site-Closures
If you need to reach the District, but don’t know who to ask for please email public.information@yopmail.com.
HAVANA – The 90-day appeal and comment period concludes May 12, 2020 for Gulf County property owners and business owners wishing to challenge the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study reports issued last fall by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Preliminary copies of the revised Florida Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) were provided to Gulf County on May 2, 2016. The FIRM and FIS were revised August 9, 2019.
Digital copies of the revised FIRM and FIS report materials are available at http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com.
These reports include proposed flood hazard information for certain locations in the unincorporated areas of Gulf County as well as the addition or modification of Special Flood Hazard Areas, the areas that would be inundated by the base (1-percent-annual-chance) flood; base flood elevations or depths; zone designations; or regulatory floodways.
Appeals are formal objections to proposed base flood elevations or flood depths. They can also be made to Special Flood Hazard Areas boundaries and zones or floodways. Appeals must be based on technical data showing proposed maps to be scientifically incorrect. Anyone making an appeal must include the method, data, and analysis used to support the claim.
Comments are objections to a base map feature change such as labels, incorrect roads, or jurisdictional boundaries.
The public can send comments and appeals to Lee Collinsworth, Gulf County Planner/Floodplain Manager, at lcollinsworth@gulfcounty-fl.gov, or contact via phone at 850- 227-9562. All information received will then be forwarded to FEMA for final resolution.
HAVANA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District announced the hiring of Darryl Boudreau as Resource Planning Program Manager.
Boudreau joins the District after working the past eight years as a Watershed Coordinator with The Nature Conservancy. In that role, he focused on the creation of estuary programs in northwest Florida and facilitating coordination between local, state, and federal agencies.
“Darryl has a long history of working closely with local governments and other stakeholders throughout northwest Florida and his relationships in those communities make him an ideal fit for our District,” said Brett Cyphers, Executive Director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
Boudreau’s new responsibilities will see him engaging with community leaders, state and local governments, environmental groups, and other stakeholders to identify strategies, programs, and projects which protect the water resources in northwest Florida.
Prior to his work at The Nature Conservancy, Boudreau served as the Assistant Director of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Northwest District for seven years, where he managed the District’s Ecosystem Restoration Section and Ombudsman functions. He also served as the State On-Scene Coordinator on the Deepwater Horizon’s Unified Command.
Boudreau begins his work at the District on March 2. His email address will be Darryl.Boudreau@yopmail.com and his phone number will be 850-539-5999.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District has re-opened Williford Spring Recreation Area after the completion of repairs stemming from Hurricane Michael.
The recreation site has resumed normal operating hours (sunrise to sunset, seven days a week).
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