South Florida Water Management District

🦇 Did you know bats are often misunderstood mammals?   👀 It is a common myth that bats are blind, but they are not blind. Bats use echolocation, the location of objects by reflected sound, to spot their prey and navigate at night.   👂 Almost all bats echolocate at frequencies typically too high to be heard by the human ear, however one of the few bat calls that can be heard by humans comes from one of the rarest bats in the world, found only in South Florida, the endangered Florida Bonneted Bat.   🔗 Visit SFWMD.gov/News to learn more about bats and continue to follow along this week for more #BatWeek facts!

🗓 Mark your calendars! Take note of these upcoming SFWMD public meetings in the next few weeks. Please Note: The November Governing Board Meeting is offsite and will take place in Clewiston in Hendry County on Thursday, November 14 at 9:00am. Visit SFWMD.link/4fn90JK for more information.

💦 LagoonFest 2024 is back!   📍 The event is Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 9:00am-2:00pm in Downtown West Palm Beach.   ☕️ Get your morning coffee and then become immersed in all things Lake Worth Lagoon. This family-friendly event is packed full of FREE activities for everyone to enjoy!   📢 Tell a friend, you wont want to miss LagoonFest 2024!

🐦👀 Reminder: The next birding tour in the newly designated C-44 STA, is this weekend!   This is a great opportunity to explore the District’s recreational lands with like-minded peers and a knowledgeable guide who can help you identify species of birds in a unique environment.    Details: 🗓️ Saturday, October 26, 2024 ⏰ 8:00am 📍 C-44 Reservoir & STA, Minute Maid Rd., Indiantown, FL 💻 Register and reserve your spot here: SFWMD.link/3A8gelS   Visit audubonofmartincounty.org for more information.

🦇 Bats: they're not just spooky Halloween characters! 👻 This #BatWeek discover some of the amazing benefits they provide to our native ecosystem and why we should celebrate them.    Florida has 13 species of bats. 8 of the 13 bat species are found here in South Florida! These flying mammals provide many ecological benefits including pollination and all natural pest control.   Florida’s bats are insectivores, meaning they feed on insects and a single bat can eat thousands of insects (like mosquitoes!) each night.   Stay tuned for more bat-tastic content. 🦇

🌿 Read SFWMD staff updates on weather, water, and other ecological conditions from across South Florida in the latest Weekly Environmental Conditions Report.   Visit SFWMD.link/4e1wa7j to read the latest update.

🥬🥕 Vegetable Gardening Season is Here!   As you plant your fall garden, keep water conservation in mind! Here are a few tips to help your veggies thrive while saving water:   ✅ Use compost in your garden beds to help retain moisture and reduce the need for frequent watering ✅ Use efficient irrigation by opting for hand watering. Use drip irrigation or a soaker hose to target plant roots and avoid wasting water. ✅ Water wisely by watering in the early morning to minimize evaporation and give plants the moisture they need for the day. ✅ Collect rainwater by setting up a rain barrel or other harvesting system to collect and store water for future use in your vegetable garden.   🔗 Visit SFWMD.link/3BUlme1 for more information. 

Weekly water levels update for key South Florida water bodies:   💧 Lake Okeechobee: 14.72 ft NAVD88 (16.03 ft NGVD29) 💧 WCA 2A: 12.35 ft NAVD88 (13.86 ft NGVD29) 💧 WCA 3A: 9.91 ft NAVD88 (11.43 ft NGVD29)   Reminder: The SFWMD upgraded the reference system used to measure water elevations. The water elevation readings, also known as water level readings, are now being reported in the newer North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), instead of the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). While there is no difference in the actual water level, the water level readings in the NAVD88 measurement system will read about 0.6 feet to 1.6 feet less than the readings in the older NGVD 29 measurement system.   Want to receive these updates straight to your inbox or phone? Sign up for email or text messages from SFWMD: SFWMD.link/30QLmka

🌱 Did you know the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (LILA) is an 80-acre working model of the Everglades ecosystem on the grounds of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach, FL? This unique, outdoor living laboratory is providing experts an opportunity to experimentally test restoration techniques on a large, ecologically realistic scale before taking them into the Everglades ecosystem? LILA helps scientists from around the world test restoration ideas and learn more about restoring the Everglades. It was developed as part of a partnership between the South Florida Water Management District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 🔗 Visit SFWMD.gov/News to read more.

🐊 The District is highlighting #NationalReptileAwarenessDay! Our staff are swamped with knowledge on all things reptiles in South Florida, so we thought we would share interesting facts about some wildlife you might see on District lands. 🐊 The American alligator was declared the official FL state reptile in 1987. 🐢 Gopher tortoises can live as long as 60 years or more. 🐍 The eastern indigo snake is the longest native snake in the U.S., as they grow to 9 feet on average. 📢 Keep your distance from all wildlife for your safety and theirs.