🛶💦 October is a great month to visit the Loxahatchee River. Go with the flow and enjoy the view but remember these key safety precautions: ⚠️ Safety Gear: Always wear a Personal Flotation Device and bring a whistle. 🛶 Navigation: Be prepared for tight turns and low-hanging branches in the river’s upper, wilder sections. 🐊 Alligator Awareness: Alligators are common; do not feed or approach them, and avoid shady banks where they rest. 💧 Trip Planning: File a float plan and bring plenty of water/sunscreen. Visit SFWMD.gov/Recreation for the most up-to-date information.

Snakes 🐍, lizards🦎, turtles 🐢, and crocodilians🐊 are some of the scaly residents you may spot on @SFWMD lands. ✨ This Reptile Awareness Day, we're shell-abrating the many native reptiles that call our region home. 🌿 The District works year-round to protect, restore and manage natural ecosystems that provide important habitat for native reptiles and wildlife. ⚠️ Remember to always keep a safe distance from wildlife for your safety and theirs.

👏 Congratulations to @SFWMD Chair Chauncey Goss for being honored with the Everglades Champion Award by Audubon Florida. This award is given to an outstanding individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to advance Everglades restoration. Chair Goss won the award for his work to protect, restore and safeguard America’s #Everglades. 🎉💧🌱

🎉 Please join us in congratulating Suzanne Trimble, the @SFWMD's Employee of the Month for October 2026. ⭐ Suzanne currently serves as a Regulatory Specialist Supervisor. In this role, she provides compliance, permitting, and technical support for the District’s regulation division. 💻 Suzanne recently spearheaded the District's transition to a new online platform for permit applications and she ensured the change went smoothly and efficiently. 👏 Thank you, Suzanne, for your service and congratulations on a job well done!

👀 Water you looking at? Everglades restoration in action! 💦 💧 Crystal clear water is flowing as part of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project. This major Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Project is complete and already improving water quality in this area of Miami-Dade County. 💪 Watch the water as it flows from the C-1 Canal into a newly constructed pump station and a series of conveyance and distribution features to slowly rehydrate coastal wetlands instead of harmfully discharging it directly into Biscayne Bay. 🏅 Biscayne Bay is an iconic waterbody of enormous significance for millions of Floridians and this project greatly improves the health of this environmental treasure.

🚜🖊️ The Blue Shanty Flow Way is being expedited thanks to the landmark agreement to accelerate Everglades restoration that was signed in July 2025 by @GovRonDeSantis and @USArmy. 💧 This crucial project will unlock a vital system to deliver clean water south across Tamiami Trail and into Florida Bay. The structure in the pictures will allow water to flow from Water Conservation 3A into Everglades National Park. 👏 Thank you to our amazing team who is ahead of schedule on this project!

🎉 Congratulations to the @SFWMD's October 2026 Team of the Month! ⭐ The District's Southern Everglades Restoration Modeling Team built a comprehensive model to study the feasibility of a project to send more water south to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. This means improving the quantity, quality, timing and distribution of freshwater in Water Conservation Area 3B, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. 👏 Thank you to all of the team members for their dedication to this project!

👏 Today, the @SFWMD Governing Board elected officers for the 2026-27 term. 🌟 Mr. Chauncey Goss was elected to remain Chair 🌟 Mr. Benjamin Butler was elected to be Vice-Chair 🗓️ Both were unanimously elected to serve in these roles. 🎉 Congratulations and thank you for your public service!

🏅☀️ Florida gets things done! 👏 The massive 10,000-acre Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir on our west coast preserves and improves the quality of life in our state. 💧 Check out the water in the reservoir getting deeper and deeper. The filling of this reservoir means we are ensuring the effectiveness of this critical infrastructure for Everglades restoration.

☔👀 Heads up South Florida, it’s going to be a rainy week! 🌧️ The @SFWMD is prepared for a prolonged stretch of wet weather due to a stalled front over Central Florida. 💦 The current forecast calls for 1-4 inches of area-averaged rainfall across the region. 📍 Know who to contact if you experience flooding. Visit SFWMD.gov/FloodControl to type in your address and look up your local drainage operator. 🔗 SFWMD.gov/Weather

🐾 Meet the cutest crew in South Florida! 👀 This momma panther and her four playful kittens were spotted on a wildlife cam, and we're paws-itively smitten. 🌿 This sighting is a promising sign for the Florida Panther. These iconic animals and many more depend on the health of Florida’s ecosystems. ❗ Remember to keep your distance from all wildlife for your safety and theirs.

🏆🎉 Ssssspectacular work by our python removal agents last month! 👀 Check out the winners of the September 2026 bonus awards: 🐍 Most Pythons, $600: Brian Hargrove (37 pythons) 🐍 Longest Python, $400: Joseph Currie (12 feet, 0 inches) 🐍 28+ Pythons, $1,500: Brian Hargrove (37 pythons) 🐍 18+ Pythons, $1,000: Christina Kraus (23 pythons) and Kristine Bartish (19 pythons) 🐍 10+ Pythons, $500: Donna Kalil (11 pythons), Matt Kogo (11 pythons), Guillermo Tapanes (11 pythons), Tommy Lee (10 pythons) and Isaac Lord (10 pythons) 🐍 6+ Pythons, $300: Andre Brown (8 pythons), Chris Garcia (8 pythons), Anthony Flanagan (7 pythons), Kym Clark (8 pythons), Bayo Hernandez (6 pythons), Joseph Currie (6 pythons), and Joaquin Vila (6 pythons) 👏 Thank you to all of our python removal agents! Every invasive python that is removed is making a difference to protect the Everglades and the region's native wildlife. 🔗 Visit SFWMD.gov/PythonProgram to learn more.

🦇 Don't just fly by, stop and hang with us! ✨Today is October 1, which means it’s Bat Appreciation Month, and we're highlighting the many benefits provided by these winged wonders. Did you know? 🦇 Florida is home to 13 species of bats. Eight of these 13 species call South Florida home. 🦟 Bats provide natural pest control. They eat moths, flies, dragonflies, beetles, wasps, ants, mosquitoes and more. 🌻 Like butterflies and bees, bats play a crucial role in plant pollination. 🧡 Bats are vital to the health of our environment, and that’s bat-solutely worth celebrating this month.🦇

👏 Thank you to the volunteers from the Kissimmee River Valley Sportsmen Association who constructed a pavilion on the shore of Cypress Lake in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. 🌿 This new pavilion is for public use and recreation and is free to use!  💧 This group has constructed similar pavilions in the past on the shores of Lake Kissimmee and Lake Hatchineha.  ✨ The @SFWMD appreciates the volunteers who worked hard to build this pavilion for the benefit of the community!

🌦️ Have you ever wondered where the rain goes after it falls into your neighborhood? ➡️ It follows an interconnected drainage system. 🏠 Neighborhood ponds and canals flow into larger, local canals that connect to the regional water management system operated by the @SFWMD. 💧 In South Florida, flood control is a shared responsibility between the District, county and city governments, local drainage districts, homeowners associations and residents. This interconnected drainage system must work together to effectively manage water throughout the region. 🔗 Visit SFWMD.gov/News to learn more.

💧 Much of Lake Okeechobee’s recovery is happening out of sight, beneath the water’s surface. 🌱 In some areas of the lake, native underwater plants are thriving, which is an important sign of an improving habitat for fish and wildlife. 👀 The vallisneria or tape grass in this video continues to grow from the improved water clarity and light penetration. ✅ More SAV = A healthier, more resilient lake ecosystem.

✅ Keeping our communities strong ✅ Keeping our waters clean ✅ Preserving South Florida for generations to come ✨This week, the @SFWMD's Division Director of Flood Control and Water Supply Planning, Dr. Carolina Maran presented at the Southwest Florida Resiliency Summit about these topics and more. 👏 Thank you, Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership, for inviting the District to be a part of this summit.

Congratulations to Andrew Hill and Michele Lenhard for being reappointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Big Cypress Basin Board. The Big Cypress Basin is one of two major watershed basins within the @SFWMD's 16-county region. The Basin includes Collier County and a portion of mainland Monroe County.

☔ More rainfall is expected for South Florida today and then we expect a drying trend later this week and into early next week. 🌦️ If you are experiencing flooding, make sure you visit SFWMD.gov/FloodControl and type in your address to look up your local drainage operator. 💧 We have experienced above-normal rainfall so far this month and the @SFWMD continues to monitor weather conditions and make operational adjustments to the primary water management system as needed. Residents are reminded to do the following: 🌦️ Remove and secure any debris around your property. Loose debris can damage structures and clog drains. 🌦️ Avoid driving through flooded areas. When in doubt, turn around. 🌦️ Do not wade or swim in floodwaters. 🌦️ Continue to monitor local weather alerts. 🔗 SFWMD.gov/Weather

🐊🥾 Happy fall y’all! ☀️ Fall is a great time to experience South Florida’s trails, waterways and natural spaces. 🐦 Need inspiration for things to do? Explore recreational opportunities including hiking, bicycling, wildlife viewing, camping and more on the @SFWMD's lands. 🔗 Visit SFWMD.gov/Recreation to learn more and remember to #RecreateResponsibly.