News Release

FWC lifts restrictions on Zone 4 of Suwannee River  

May 5, 2009
Contact: Karen Parker, 386-758-0525

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

When Suwannee River floodwaters at Wilcox fell below 9 feet today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) deactivated boating restrictions in Zone 4.

Zone 4 is the section from the County Road 340 Bridge at Rock Bluff to one mile below the Fowler Bluff boat ramp. This 51-mile segment falls under the boating restrictions as long as the Suwannee is at 9 feet or more above mean sea level, as indicated on the Wilcox gauge, where flood stage is 11 feet.

The FWC activated restrictions in this zone on April 11.

"This morning, we verified with the Suwannee River Water Management District that the water level has fallen below the required 9 feet at Wilcox," said Capt. Roy Brown, area supervisor at the FWC's Lake City office.

"Zone 5 on the Santa Fe River is still idle-speed, no-wake," Brown said, "and we still have officers patrolling that area to enforce the zone."

An idle-speed, no-wake restriction means a vessel must proceed at a speed no greater than what is required to maintain steerageway and headway in that river zone. 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.

The Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers are divided into five flood zones.

• Zone 1 is from the U.S. 90 Bridge at Ellaville south to the State Road 51 Bridge at Luraville. This 39-mile segment becomes an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Suwannee River is at 47 feet or more above mean sea level, as indicated on the Ellaville gauge, where flood stage is 54 feet. The FWC lifted restrictions on this zone April 28.
• Zone 2 stretches from the S.R. 51 Bridge at Luraville to Little River Spring. This 18-mile segment becomes 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. The FWC deactivated this zone April 30.
• Zone 3 runs from Little River Spring to the County Road 340 Bridge at Rock Bluff.  This 23-mile segment is an idle-speed, no-wake zone as long as the Suwannee River is at 24 feet or more above mean sea level, as indicated on the Branford gauge. The FWC deactivated this zone May 4.
• Zone 4 is described above.
  One zone remains under boating restrictions.
• Zone 5 is from River Rise in O'Leno State Park west to the confluence of the Suwannee River. The FWC activated restrictions on this section April 7. This 32-mile segment will be an idle-speed, no-wake zone as long as the Santa Fe River is at 17 feet above 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.