20%
LESS PUMPING
Tell the Water Management Districts:
When springs drop, pumping should too.
Poe Springs in 2026, no longer flowing
Photo provided by Bill Hawthorne photography and the Florida Springs Institute
POE SPRINGS HAS STOPPED FLOWING. DEEP DROUGHT DEMANDS ACTION.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners has wisely asked
the Suwannee River Water Management District to require a mandatory 20% reduction in
permitted water withdrawals during the drought.
The springs are low. The rivers are low. It's time to turn down the pumps.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Send a pre-written email to the governing board members and attend the SRWMD Governing Board meeting on October 13.
Overwhelm them with our message:
Cut all permitted water withdrawals by 20% during the drought.
Take Action to Save Poe Springs
Email the Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners sent a letter requesting that the water management district institute a mandatory 20% reduction of all consumptive use permits. We are grateful for Alachua County’s leadership in springs restoration and want to remind the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) that our local communities depend on clean, flowing springs and rivers. Healthy waters are vital to our local economies and tourism, wildlife and water supply.
Please take this important opportunity to email the SRWMD Governing Board. Tell them to reduce all water pumping by 20%, place a temporary moratorium on new landscape irrigation wells where potable or reclaimed water is available, extend current irrigation restrictions, and enforce the current water shortage restrictions.
Royal Springs
Poe Springs
Poe Springs photos provided by Bill Hawthorne Photography and the Florida Springs Institute
Send a Postcard to the Suwannee River Water Management District Office
We had FREE springs postcards available at the following businesses and ended up mailing over 200 postcards to the Suwannee River Water Management District office this month!
-
Cypress & Grove Brewing - 1001 NW 4th St, Gainesville, FL 32601
-
Life Unplastic - 2441 NW 43rd st. ste 24b-1 Gainesville, fl 32606
-
Unique Notions - 23641 W U.S. Hwy 27, High Springs, FL 32643
-
First Magnitude Brewing Co. - 1220 SE Veitch St, Gainesville, FL 32601
We appreciate these businesses for partnering with us and encouraging their customers to speak up for our springs.
Share Our Action Alert with Your Network - Click the images below or visit our Instagram or Facebook
Attend the Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board Meeting in October
Join the Florida Springs Council in Live Oak on October 13 as we tell the SRWMD Governing Board to stop draining our springs & institute a mandatory 20% reduction of all water use permits in the basin.
Please fill out this form or email chloe@floridaspringscouncil.org to let us know we can count on seeing you at the meeting. Our team will follow up with more information about organizing and preparing comments for the meeting. We hope to see you there!
🗓️ Tuesday, October 13, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM
📍 District Headquarters: 9225 County Road 49, Live Oak, FL 32060
The meeting will be accessible online at https://www.youtube.com/@SRWMD. Public comment will be accepted from those in attendance.
Meeting agenda: https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1782
Dive Deeper
Read Alachua County's letter to the Suwannee and St. Johns River Water Management Districts calling for the 20% reduction. Click the PDF icon to open or download.
And, check out the U.S. Drought Monitor for updates on current conditions in your area.
Map released: Thurs. September 3, 2026
