News - Orange.WaterAtlas.org

Aquifer levels remain at a ‘deficit,’ despite recent rains in Central Florida

WaterAtlas.org — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Drought conditions persist in Central Florida, despite recent summer rains.

Not enough rain has fallen to compensate for the existing “deficit” in the underground aquifer system that provides most of the state’s drinking water, according to the St. Johns River Water Management District. An “extreme” water shortage declared by the district in May remains effective, requiring all water consumers — residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural — to take steps to conserve the critical natural resource.

Diving into the data

In Marion County specifically, total annual rainfall is nearly two feet short of where it should be by this time of year.

“When you're that short on rainfall, it takes more than just a few afternoon thunderstorms … to be able to start to refill the aquifer,” said Clay Coarsey, the district’s director of water supply planning and assessment.

For July, total rainfall across the district fell about 1.5 inches short of the monthly average. District-wide, total annual rainfall is sitting more than nine inches below average levels, based on precipitation data from August 2025 through last month.

In Central Florida’s coastal areas, rainfall totals are looking a bit better. Within the district’s 18-county coverage area, only Brevard and Volusia saw monthly rain totals improve in July.

But more precipitation is necessary inland, Coarsey said, where sandy soils allow rain to seep more easily through the ground and into the aquifer system lying thousands of feet below the Earth. “We need that rainfall inland, because that's really the area where we're getting our aquifer recharge.”

Warm seasonal temperatures are also fueling drought conditions. “We have a lot of plants that are growing, a lot of turf that's growing. And a lot of that rainfall is ending up as either evaporation or transpiration that the plants are using,” Coarsey said.

Transpiration is the process of plants taking up water from the soil, then releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves. Separately, about 90% of moisture in the atmosphere comes from water evaporating from ocean, lakes and rivers, according to the United States Geological Survey.

As climate change drives up global temperatures, more water is evaporating into the atmosphere, according to climate scientists — leaving soils and surface water bodies more dry.

How can any one person help?

By conserving water, all Central Floridians can play an important role in helping ease drought conditions, Coarsey said.

Residents of areas covered by the ongoing extreme water shortage should only be watering their lawns one day a week, between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. More details on the district’s watering restrictions are available here.

Another key step is to make sure your irrigation system’s required rain sensor is working. “With the rain that's been coming through, you'll be wasting money and our water resources if you're irrigating shortly after we have a rain event,” Coarsey said.

Sometimes, public irrigation systems using reclaimed water — treated, recycled stormwater and wastewater — will still run during or shortly after it rains. That’s because the utilities using that reclaimed water only have so much storage capacity for it.

“We're trying to be as efficient as we can with all water,” Coarsey said. “But sometimes, just due to operational constraints, we're not as quite as efficient with reclaimed (water) as we'd like to be.”

Where, exactly, is an extreme water shortage in effect?

In Central Florida, all of Flagler, Lake, Marion, Polk and Sumter counties are in an extreme water shortage, as declared by St. Johns and the Southwest Water Management District. Other parts of the region covered by St. Johns may be required to follow other, locally-set water conservation rules.

Beyond the Central Florida region, areas in an extreme water shortage also include:

In the St. Johns district: Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties, plus parts of Alachua County.
In the Southwest Florida district: All of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties; portions of Charlotte and Highlands counties; and Gasparilla Island in Charlotte County.

Invisible hitchhikers: how ‘forever chemicals’ travel in water

WaterAtlas.org — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Grab a cup and scoop up water from Lake Michigan or one of the rivers that feed it. Then hold the water sample up and you’ll see tiny bits of floating particles, including bits of clay, algae and other organic matter that make the water appear cloudy.

These microscopic particles may hold important clues to understanding how a large family of human-made chemicals – called PFAS, or “forever chemicals” – move through one of the region’s most valuable natural resources, said Yin Wang, associate professor, civil & environmental engineering.

The research team of Wang; Shangping Xu, associate professor, geosciences; and Patrick Gorski, a scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; will look at the question in a new study funded with a $259,500 grant from Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Scientists have spent years studying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which persist in the environment and are linked to adverse human health effects. They know the compounds can cling to soil, Wang said, but what isn’t known is whether PFAS chemicals also hitchhike on the countless suspended particles in lakes and rivers.

Attached vs. dissolved

“If PFAS are attached to these particles, they may behave very differently than if they are simply dissolved in the water,” Wang said. Understanding those differences could help researchers identify how PFAS enter the lake and where they are most likely to accumulate.

With water samples collected from the lake and several of its largest tributaries, Wang and Xu will separate the suspended particles and the water and measure the amount of PFAS in each. The results should reveal how much of the contamination is traveling with particles and how much remains dissolved.

The team believes that many PFAS compounds do attach to suspended particles, but not all in the same way, Xu said. The researchers also hypothesize that the chemical structure of different PFAS compounds influences if or how tightly they stick to floating solids.

What rivers can reveal

Comparing samples from Lake Michigan with those taken in tributaries may offer additional insights. Rivers often carry more suspended particles than the open lake, where the much larger volume of water dilutes them. Wind, waves and weather can influence where the particles go, and fish and other aquatic organisms may encounter particle-bound PFAS differently than the dissolved chemicals.

Looking at both data sets, “may allow us to determine how tributary-derived PFAS are redistributed and modified within the lake,” said Xu, whose research focuses on emerging contaminants in the environment, and the development of novel removal technologies.

Today’s environmental models often overlook the distinctions because the necessary data doesn’t exist, Wang added. He hopes this research will fill the gap, providing new information that could improve cleanup strategies.

Wang and Xu previously worked together on a Sea Grant project that investigated how PFAS compounds accumulate and move in groundwater. The pair also hold a patent on a next-generation filtration material specifically designed to target low concentrations of PFAS.

Drought Extremes are Intensifying More Rapidly Than in the Past

WaterAtlas.org — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Droughts are becoming an increasing global concern as their impacts intensify. Understanding how climate change affects drought frequency and severity is essential for projecting future drought risk. In this context, the question raised by Helpap et al. [2026]—”are modern droughts unprecedented?”—has a high scientific relevance. Here, 20 ensemble members from a 600-year climate simulation and reanalysis data from the period 1950-2024 are analyzed to place recent droughts in a multi-century context. It is concluded that drought extremes are intensifying more rapidly beyond the range experienced in the past than moderate droughts. Therefore, an increasing likelihood of droughts reaching unprecedented magnitudes is expected in the near future, thus highlighting the urgency for adaptation measures in water resources and environmental management.

Citation: Helpap, P., Brönnimann, S., Hand, R., Franke, J., Raible, C. C., & Stocker, B. D. (2026). Are modern droughts unprecedented? AGU Advances, 7, e2026AV002536. https://doi.org/10.1029/2026AV002536

FEMA Announces $600M for Flood Mitigation Projects

WaterAtlas.org — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

FEMA has announced $600 million in fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding through its Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Swift Current program. The program provides accelerated post-disaster funding for projects that reduce repetitive flood damage to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)-insured properties following qualifying flood disasters or major disaster declarations between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2027. Up to $40 million per disaster is available.

Key objectives include:

Increase community flood resilience and reduce future flood losses
Accelerate mitigation funding so projects can be implemented shortly after flood events rather than waiting for traditional annual grant cycles
Reduce future claims and financial exposure to the NFIP

States, territories, and Tribes apply on behalf of local communities. Application deadlines are established after a disaster declaration, typically 60-180 days after the disaster declaration. Download the Funding Bulletin to learn more.

St Johns Water Management District’s Water Conservation Rebate Program now accepting applications

WaterAtlas.org — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Across the District’s 18 counties, water connects neighborhoods, businesses and natural systems. Conserving this important resource is a priority.

When the St. Johns River Water Management District (District) launched its Water Conservation Rebate Program in October 2024, the goal was simple: make it easier for communities to conserve water and protect local resources; together.

By offering financial support for practical, proven conservation upgrades, the program empowers local governments, small utilities, homeowner associations (HOA), property owner associations and multi-family properties, to take meaningful action without shouldering the full cost alone.

The District provides rebates covering up to 50% of eligible project costs, including labor and installation, with applicants eligible to receive up to $10,000 per year. The program is supported by $50,000 per year in total funding, and projects are approved on a first-come, first-served basis, reinforcing the shared commitment to act now to maximize available funding.

In addition to outdoor irrigation, the program also includes indoor fixture retrofits for private and public multi-family properties, as well as single-family homes through locally administered programs. From upgrading older toilets, sinks and showerheads to high-efficiency models, to HOAs improving neighborhood irrigation systems, cities increasing efficiency at public housing properties and builders committing to high-efficiency standards in new construction, each project helps save water, reduce utility costs and contribute to a stronger, more water-wise community.

“The strength of this program is partnership,” said Kraig McLane, one of the District’s water conservation coordinators. “When we work alongside our local governments, utilities and community associations, we’re able to make conservation improvements that benefit residents directly. These upgrades not only reduce water use, but they also help lower costs and protect our water resources for the long term.”

The rebate program supports a wide range of projects designed to make conservation achievable and impactful:

Florida Water Star^SM certification for new residential construction
S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense®-labeled smart irrigation controllers
Irrigation conversions to high-efficiency rotary nozzles or micro-irrigation
Irrigation evaluations and timer modifications
Landscape soil amendments for new residential construction
Indoor plumbing fixture retrofits
H2OSAV subscription services

The application process is straightforward. After reviewing the Water Conservation Cost-Share Rebate Handbook, applicants complete a qualification step, enter into a cost-share agreement once approved and submit documentation for reimbursement after project completion. Clear steps and defined fiscal year timelines help ensure transparency and accountability for public funds.

By investing alongside its partners, the District is helping turn everyday conservation efforts into lasting impact — lowering costs, improving efficiency and protecting vital water resources across the region.

For questions or to discuss future rebate ideas, interested partners may attend an information session Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pre-register by Aug. 17 here:
2026-2027 Water Conservation Rebate Program Information Session

For those unable to attend, contact Kraig McLane at kmclane@sjrwmd.com or Gretchen Smith at gcsmith@sjrwmd.com.

St Johns River Water Management District expands scientific monitoring of Florida springs

WaterAtlas.org — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The St. Johns River Water Management District is expanding mapping and monitoring efforts at some of the region’s most iconic springs, collecting detailed scientific information to help protect these treasured waters, unique habitats and popular destinations where millions of people swim, paddle, snorkel and experience Florida’s natural beauty each year.

The Governing Board approved a contract with Trutta Environmental Solutions LLC to map and monitor springs and their spring runs at eight springs across the District, including Alexander, Blue, Juniper, Rock, Salt, Silver, Silver Glen and Wekiwa springs.

Using a specialized survey boat equipped with above-and-below water cameras, high-resolution global positioning system (GPS), sonar and water quality monitoring instrumentation, scientists will collect detailed information about spring and spring run conditions. The system records underwater channel bottom depths and substrate hardness, water quality, aquatic vegetation and other environmental characteristics, establishing a valuable baseline for future monitoring and helping scientists better evaluate long-term trends, habitat conditions and water quality. These insights will help guide future management decisions to protect these iconic Florida springs for wildlife and people who depend on them.

“Florida’s springs are among our state’s most treasured natural resources,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “By collecting consistent, high-quality scientific data, we can better understand these systems, identify changes as they occur and make informed decisions to help protect them for future generations.”

There are 148 springs across the District’s 18-county region. The District has partnered with local governments and utilities to fund 180 springs projects, investing over $71 million to help protect these important natural resources. Collectively, these projects conserve approximately 60 million gallons of water per day (mgd), reduce nitrogen by more than 434,652 pounds per year and reduce phosphorus by more than 152,654 pounds per year.

To find additional information about the springs of the District, please visit www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/springs.

Drought conditions persist as July rainfall remains below average

WaterAtlas.org — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Rainfall across the St. Johns River Water Management District (District) remained below average in July, with drought conditions continuing across portions of western and northern counties. Although southern areas experienced modest improvements in groundwater levels, the majority of the Upper Floridan aquifer remained below the normal range. Continued below-average rainfall and low groundwater levels highlight the importance of water conservation as the District continues to monitor drought conditions.

July is typically part of Florida’s summer wet season, when rainfall generally exceeds the more than 5 inches of water lost through evapotranspiration each month, helping replenish groundwater levels. This year, however, rainfall patterns varied from historical trends, with less rainfall in many northern counties and more rainfall in eastern-central and southern portions of the District.

A full report outlining July’s hydrologic conditions was presented at the District’s Governing Board meeting. Highlights include:

Rainfall

Districtwide rainfall averaged 5.34 inches, 1.50 inches below the monthly average.
Monthly rainfall averages ranged from 6.99 inches in Seminole County to 3.50 inches in Baker County.
Annual rainfall across the District was 51.01 inches, 9.03 inches below the 12-month average.
Rainfall totals over the past year remained uneven across the District. Volusia and Brevard counties were the only counties above normal for the previous 12 months. Sixteen of the District’s 18 counties remained below average, with Baker County recording a deficit of more than 20 inches.

Groundwater

Most monitoring stations across the Upper Floridan aquifer were below the normal range at the end of July, and areas of very low levels expanded in northern counties.
Districtwide groundwater levels, expressed as a single index, were in the 15th percentile for July, which is in the low range.

Spring flows

Silver Springs recorded a monthly mean flow of 351 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 227 million gallons per day (mgd), a decrease of 33 cfs from June, which is at the bottom of the very low range for this time of year.
In Volusia County, the Blue Spring station reported flows within the normal range.
Rock Springs had a monthly mean flow of 57 cfs (37 mgd), which is in the normal range.
Wekiwa Springs recorded a monthly mean flow of 60 cfs (39 mgd), continuing to be in the normal range.

For further insights into rainfall totals and other hydrologic data, visit www.sjrwmd.com.

For more information about the Phase III Extreme Water Shortage, visit www.sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions.

Visit WaterLessFlorida.com for tips to help landscapes thrive while saving water and money. Follow the water conservation conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation #savewater.

A majority of Florida waterways are polluted. But environmental enforcement is lacking

WaterAtlas.org — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A majority of Florida waterways are failing water quality standards, even as the state’s pollution enforcement remains near historic lows, according to a new report.

The report was published by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER, and Waterkeepers Florida, a coalition that is part of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. It is based on 37 years of environmental enforcement data, plus data from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s latest statewide, comprehensive water quality analysis.

Data takeaways

Of more than 4,200 water bodies assessed by FDEP, just over 52% are not meeting water quality standards, according to the state’s comprehensive analysis released earlier this year. For another 15% of assessed water bodies, there isn’t enough data to determine whether or not standards are being met.

In Central Florida, some water bodies failing to meet water quality standards include Lake Jesup (impaired by nutrients), portions of Lake Apopka (impaired by nutrients, plus pesticides found in fish tissue) and parts of the Econlockhatchee River (impaired by e-coli and nutrients), according to FDEP.

Statewide, most water body impairments are driven by high concentrations of nutrients and fecal bacteria, as well as low levels of dissolved oxygen, according to FDEP.

PEER’s analysis of state enforcement data reveals that “a steady decline” in enforcement actions began once former Governor Rick Scott took office in 2011.

The report states that “the Scott administration favored development interests at the expense of environmental protections.”

Between 1988 and 1995, FDEP took action to enforce protective environmental laws in an average 1,048 cases per year. That number plummeted to 431 cases a year, on average, between 2011 and 2018, Scott’s last full year in office.

When Governor Ron DeSantis took over in 2019, he was more publicly supportive of protective environmental programs than Scott had been, according to the PEER report. In DeSantis’ first year in office, the number of environmental enforcement actions temporarily rose, from 371 actions taken in 2018 to 742 in 2020.

After 2020, though, FDEP enforcement actions declined again. They’ve since ticked back up slightly, rising from 579 actions taken in 2023 to 755 in 2025.

Still, “enforcement actions initiated under Governor DeSantis are still less than half of what they were in 2010,” according to the report.

Florida’s pollution protections ‘don’t go far enough’

Lisa Rinaman is the riverkeeper, or chief advocate, at St. Johns Riverkeeper, one of 15 member groups making up Waterkeepers Florida. Rinaman said the findings in the report co-published with PEER are a “significant concern.”

“It's alarming for a state like Florida, where everything depends on clean water, from an economic perspective,” Rinaman said. “Our tourism, our growth; just our quality of life, agriculture.”

Although state rules and protections enacted to reduce nutrient pollution in water bodies like the St. Johns River have worked “to some degree,” Rinaman said, they don’t go far enough — especially because enforcement is lacking.

“This [report] just demonstrates that, those protections that have been in place, they're too lax. They don't go far enough,” Rinaman said. “And then, if you're not enforcing it to ensure that what the model is telling you is what's happening in reality …. then it's really not as good as the paper it's written on.”

Looking forward

The report by PEER and Waterkeepers Florida finds “a growing number of Florida’s water bodies, including estuaries and lakes, fail to meet water quality standards.” However, “the quality of coastal waters and streams has improved somewhat.”

Another piece of good news, Rinaman said, is a provision in Florida’s farm bill, approved by lawmakers earlier this year, that will outlaw the land application of Class B biosolids by 2028. Those Class B biosolids are made up of sewage sludge that’s been treated to reduce (not eliminate) pathogens and toxic chemicals.

However, DeSantis vetoed another bill that would have created protective regulations for Class AA biosolids, which is sewage sludge that’s been treated to a higher level than Class B biosolids.

“That's just going to continue to add to our nutrient pollution problems that we're seeing throughout the state of Florida,” Rinaman said.

After this story published, FDEP shared a statement which reads in part: "The Department disagrees with PEER's 2025 Florida Enforcement Report as it leaves out important context, overly focuses on historical metrics and ignores the significant strides Florida has made in restoring and protecting Florida's waterways."

FAU awarded US EPA grant for AI-driven technology to combat harmful algal blooms

WaterAtlas.org — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become an increasingly common threat to lakes, rivers and coastal waters across the United States, endangering drinking water supplies, aquatic ecosystems, public health and local economies. Now, researchers at Florida Atlantic University are developing an innovative technology that could help stop these blooms before they spread.

FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has received an $800,475 grant from the Gulf of America Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop an artificial intelligence-guided system that removes excess phosphorus – one of the primary drivers of HABs – from freshwater systems. The three-year project began July 1.

The project, titled “AI-Guided Use of 3D-Printed Adsorbents for Phosphate Removal,” is led by principal investigator Masoud Jahandar Lashaki, Ph.D., an associate professor in FAU’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering. Co-principal investigators are Yalan Liu, Ph.D., an assistant professor, and Mohammed Abdellatef, Ph.D., an assistant professor both from FAU’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering. Huichun (Judy) Zhang, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve University, will serve as the project’s sub-awardee.

Excess phosphorus entering lakes and waterways from agricultural runoff, wastewater, failing septic systems and urban stormwater fuels explosive algal growth. These HABs can cloud waterways, deplete oxygen needed by fish and other aquatic life, produce toxins dangerous to people, pets and wildlife, and cause significant economic losses for communities that depend on clean water for tourism, recreation and fishing.

Lake Okeechobee, one of Florida’s most important freshwater resources, has experienced recurring HABs fueled by elevated nutrient levels. Because the lake sits at the headwaters of the Gulf of America watershed, phosphorus flowing downstream affects numerous rivers, estuaries and coastal ecosystems, making nutrient reduction in the lake critical to improving water quality throughout the region.

Current methods for removing phosphorus often are costly, produce waste or present environmental challenges when used on a large scale. Some chemical treatments generate large amounts of sludge, while biological approaches require tightly controlled conditions that are difficult to maintain outside treatment facilities. For example, although lanthanum-based materials are highly effective at capturing phosphorus, they typically are applied as fine powders that settle into lake sediments, where they can slowly release lanthanum back into the environment. The FAU-led team aims to overcome these limitations by combining advanced manufacturing with AI.

Researchers will develop durable, retrievable 3D-printed structures made from sargassum, a naturally abundant seaweed, which are modified with lanthanum to capture phosphorus from both the water column and lake sediments. Unlike conventional powdered materials, the 3D-printed structures can be deployed, retrieved, regenerated and reused, significantly reducing waste and minimizing the potential for lanthanum to enter the environment.

“This award provides an exciting opportunity to transform how we manage one of the most persistent causes of harmful algal blooms,” said Lashaki. “By combining sustainable 3D-printed materials with the power of AI, we can develop a smarter, more effective and environmentally responsible solution for removing phosphorus from our waterways. This funding allows us to accelerate the development and field testing of this technology while creating a model that can ultimately benefit freshwater ecosystems far beyond Florida.”

AI and machine learning will play a central role throughout the project. Researchers will use AI to rapidly identify the most effective adsorbent formulations, determine the optimal locations for deploying the structures and predict where phosphorus removal will have the greatest impact on preventing HABs. By integrating environmental monitoring data with information on land use, weather patterns, fertilizer applications, livestock operations and septic systems, the technology will help guide more precise nutrient management strategies.

The project also will demonstrate the technology in Lake Okeechobee under real-world conditions. Researchers will monitor improvements in water quality, water clarity and reductions in HABs using field sampling, publicly available environmental data and unmanned aerial vehicles. The resulting dataset will be shared through the U.S. EPA’s Water Quality Exchange to help other communities adopt similar approaches.

Beyond improving water quality in Lake Okeechobee, the technology is designed to be scalable and transferable to lakes, reservoirs and watersheds throughout the U.S. and around the world facing similar nutrient pollution challenges. The project is expected to reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Okeechobee, improve water quality and clarity, decrease the frequency and severity of HABs, reduce downstream nutrient pollution throughout the Gulf of America watershed, and demonstrate a reusable technology that can be adapted for watersheds worldwide.

“This award exemplifies the innovative, interdisciplinary research taking place in our college to address some of society’s most pressing environmental challenges,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Professor Lashaki and his collaborators are developing a solution that combines advanced manufacturing, AI and environmental engineering to protect one of Florida’s most important natural resources. The impact of this work extends well beyond our state, offering a scalable approach that has the potential to improve water quality and protect ecosystems in communities around the globe.”

District seeks public input on updated Middle St. Johns River Basin Plan

WaterAtlas.org — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The St. Johns River Water Management District has opened the public comment period for the draft 2026 Middle St. Johns River Basin Plan.

The draft plan updates priorities and projects to improve water quality, support ongoing restoration efforts and guide water resource management across the basin. Public input is an important part of the planning process and will help ensure the final plan reflects community needs, local knowledge and regional priorities. The District held a public meeting on July 16 to provide an overview of the draft plan and answer questions from attendees.

The draft plan and an online public comment form are available on the District’s website at sjrwmd.com/documents/plans/#basin.

Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 13, and feedback received during this period will help inform revisions before the plan is finalized.

Residents, community partners and interested parties are encouraged to review the draft and share their input.

For more information about the District’s efforts in the Middle St. Johns River Basin, visit www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/st-johns-river/middle.

B-roll and high-resolution images of the Middle St. Johns River Basin are available in the District’s media library.