Florida FWC Deactivates Zone 2 Boating Restrictions on Suwannee River

The Suwannee River fell below 26 feet at Branford, so the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has deactivated boating restrictions on a portion of the river. This idle-speed, no-wake zone was activated March 8.

The area, Zone 2, stretches from the State Road 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 above on the Branford gauge, where flood stage is 29 feet.

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.

There are five flood zones on the Suwannee and the Santa Fe rivers. The other four zones are:

• Zone 1 – from the U.S. 90 Bridge at Ellaville south to the S.R. 51 Bridge at Luraville. This 39-mile segment becomes an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Suwannee River is at 47 feet, as indicated on the Ellaville gauge, where flood stage is 54 feet. The restrictions in this zone went into effect March 4.
• Zone 3 – from Little River Spring to the County Road 340 Bridge at Rock Bluff, was activated March 5. This 23-mile segment is an idle-speed, no-wake zone as long as the Suwannee River is at 24 feet or more, as indicated on the Branford gauge.
• Zone 4 – from the 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, as indicated on the Wilcox gauge, where flood stage is 11 feet. This zone was activated March 11.
• Zone 5 – from River Rise in O’Leno State Park west to the confluence of the Suwannee River. This 32-mile segment is an idle-speed, no-wake zone when the Santa Fe River is at 17 feet, as indicated on the Three Rivers gauge, where flood stage is 19 feet. This zone was activated March 3.

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

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came into existence on July 1, 1999 - the result of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election as part of the package proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission.

In the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment, the Florida Legislature combined all of the staff and Commissioners of the former Marine Fisheries Commission, elements of the Divisions of Marine Resources and Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.

Five years later, after consulting stakeholders, employees and other interested parties, the FWC adopted a new internal structure to address complex conservation issues of the new century. The new structure focuses on programs, such as habitat management, that affect numerous species. It will focus on moving the decision-making process closer to the public and did not require any additional funding or additional positions.