LIVE OAK, FLA., APRIL 25, 2023 – The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) will facilitate a meeting on Wednesday, April 26, in Alachua to discuss proposed changes to the flood maps for the Santa Fe River Watershed.
The meeting will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the City of Alachua James A. Lewis Chambers. This will be the final meeting ahead of April 30’s public comment deadline. The Wednesday meeting is in response to a request to have one additional meeting for the public to weigh in on proposed changes and District staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public.
Residents who live in certain areas of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Suwannee, and Union counties could be impacted by updated flood maps. The maps are revised periodically to improve flood information for the local communities in their planning and development.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the District, hosted a series of meetings in February for citizens to provide feedback on proposed flood zones changes to their property. For those who could not attend, a public comment period was authorized for additional feedback.
Those with requested changes and feedback on the existing maps should utilize this critical time to provide written comments. Changes requested after April 30 may require engineering studies and other formal analysis.
Map changes based on feedback are not guaranteed, but data or photos from recent flood events are encouraged to be submitted for consideration. Preliminary maps are expected to be available early next year, with the new flood maps going into effect in 2025.
Additional information, including the presentations made during the meeting and flood zone designation status, can be found by visiting http://www.srwmdfloodreport.com/virtual.
The mission of the Suwannee River Water Management District is to protect and manage water resources using science-based solutions to support natural systems and the needs of the public. The District holds true to the belief of water for nature, water for people. Headquartered in Live Oak, Florida, the District serves 15 surrounding north-central Florida counties.
For more information about the District, visit www.MySuwanneeRiver.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
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