News Release

FWC activates idle-speed, no-wake restrictions on Suwannee River's flooded Zone 1

April 6, 2009
Contact: Karen Parker, 386-758-0525

• Map of Suwannee, Santa Fe flood zones  (1.53MB)

The Suwannee River reached flood stage at Ellaville on Sunday, prompting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to activate idle-speed, no-wake restrictions for the area of the river from U.S. 90 in Ellaville south to State Road 51 in Luraville.

This 39-mile segment of the river becomes an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Suwannee River reaches 47 feet above mean sea level on the Ellaville gauge, where flood stage is 54 feet.

The FWC said other zones of the river will quickly fall under the same boating restrictions as the floodwaters move downriver.

"By Tuesday, Branford will also be above flood stage, as will the Santa Fe River at Three Rivers," said Capt. Roy Brown, area supervisor at the FWC's Lake City office. "Heavy rainfall in Georgia is causing local rivers to rise quickly."

An idle-speed, no-wake zone means a vessel must proceed at a speed no greater than what is required to maintain steerageway and headway. At no time is any vessel required to proceed so slowly that the operator is unable to control it or anything it may be towing.

FWC officers will be patrolling this area of the river to ensure the idle-speed, no-wake rule is enforced, Brown said. The FWC is encouraging boaters to stay off the river system until conditions improve.

"Water levels on the Suwannee River can fluctuate rapidly, creating navigational hazards for unsuspecting boaters, such as floating debris, submerged rocks and stumps and new shoaling conditions. We want everyone to be safe," Brown said.

The idle-speed, no-wake rule will stay in effect in this zone until the water level recedes below 47 feet.

"There are five flood zones on the Suwannee and the Santa Fe rivers," Brown said.

In 2006, the FWC unanimously approved dividing the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers into five zones subject to flood-related restrictions. Each zone has its own water-level gauge. When the water level rises in one zone, idle-speed, no-wake restrictions are enforced there. These zones range from 9 to 47 feet above mean sea level.

Previously, when the Suwannee River reached 26 feet above sea level (3 feet below flood stage), one gauge in Branford placed the entire 160-mile system under an idle-speed, no-wake restriction, hindering all boaters along both the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers, even though some areas of the rivers were well below flood stage.

"In the five zones, idle-speed, no-wake restrictions are driven by Suwannee River Water Management District gauges situated within these segments," Brown said. "When the specific gauge reaches the identified water level, idle-speed, no-wake restrictions will be imposed. When water recedes below the specified level within a specific segment, the restrictions will be lifted."

• Zone 1 is from the U.S. 90 Bridge at Ellaville south to the S.R. 51 Bridge at Luraville.
• Zone 2 is from the S.R. 51 Bridge at Luraville to Little River Spring. This 18-mile segment will be an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Suwannee River is at 26 feet or more above mean sea level as indicated on the Branford gauge, where flood stage is 29 feet.
• Zone 3 covers the area from Little River Spring to the County Road 340 Bridge at Rock Bluff. This 23-mile segment will be an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Suwannee River is at 24 feet or more above mean sea level as indicated on the Branford gauge.
• Zone 4 runs from C.R. 340 Bridge at Rock Bluff to one mile below the Fowler Bluff Boat Ramp. This 51-mile segment will be an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Suwannee River is at 9 feet or more above mean sea level as indicated on the Wilcox gauge, where flood stage is 11 feet.
• Zone 5 is from River Rise in O'Leno State Park west to the confluence of the Suwannee River. This 32-mile segment will be an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Santa Fe River is at 17 above feet mean sea level or higher, as indicated on the Three Rivers gauge, where flood stage is 19 feet.

For more information about the flood zones, please call 386-758-0525. To report violations, please call 888-404-3922.  

To obtain real-time river level information, visit www.mysuwanneeriver.com.