The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board declared April Springs Protection Awareness Month during its March meeting. The Governing Board also emphasized that springs are vital to the environment, economy, citizens and visitors of the state.
Earlier this month, the District launched an education campaign to help protect the Weeki Wachee River in Hernando County, which begins at the world-famous springs. The Weeki Wachee River education campaign aims to inform river visitors about the recreational best management practices that will help protect the river and reduce ecological impacts. To learn more about the campaign visit WaterMatters.org/ProtectWeeki.
The District, in partnership with various stakeholders, is committed to implementing studies, projects and programs to conserve and improve the ecological balance of these spring systems, supporting regional economies and quality of life. The District has been a lead technical agency in springs protection and improvement for more than a decade and has taken a comprehensive approach to protect the region’s springs, which includes water conservation, restoration, planning, communication and education, monitoring, research and development, regulation, and land acquisition and management.
There are more than 150 documented springs throughout the 16-county District, with five first-magnitude spring groups that collectively discharge more than 1 billion gallons of water per day.
You can find more information about springs on our website at WaterMatters.org/Springs.