A water shortage has left brown grass and dried-out foliage. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
Published on February 11, 2026 at 2:25 pm
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A lack of rain has led the St. Johns River Water Management District to declare a moderate water shortage in Duval and four other counties, ordering residents to avoid “wasteful and unnecessary water use.”
The district determined what it calls a Phase I water shortage, a temporary, precautionary declaration the district makes when dry conditions begin to strain water resources.
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The declaration applies to Duval County and portions of Alachua, Baker, Bradford and Marion counties.
Under the Phase I water shortage, all users are asked to voluntarily reduce use and conserve water to the maximum extent possible.
“Wasteful and unnecessary water use is prohibited,” district officials said in a news release. “Water users are also encouraged to proactively plan for extended dry conditions and the potential for additional mandatory restrictions should the water shortage advance to a more severe phase.”
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The declaration came after staff evaluated rainfall and groundwater levels, river flows and current drought conditions and found that countywide rainfall totals for Duval and the four other counties were at or below 40 inches for the past year.
According to Florida Climate Center statistics for Duval County, average annual rainfall has ranged from a recent high of 62.81 inches in 2024 to last year’s low of 41.44 inches.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, portions of the region are classified as having severe or extreme drought.
The water shortage order encourages voluntary reductions across all water users, including public supply, commercial, industrial, institutional, agricultural, landscape, recreation and aesthetic uses.
Watering restrictions
The district already has winter watering restrictions in place across its district, which includes counties along the river.
The restrictions mandate that homes with odd-numbered or no addresses water only on Saturdays. Homes with even-numbered addresses may water on Sundays only. Business and nonresidential properties are allowed to water only on Tuesdays.
Irrigation is limited to no more than ¾-inch of water per zone and no more than one hour per zone on the scheduled day. The restrictions apply to private wells and pumps, ground or surface water and water from public and private utilities.
The district’s water shortage plan does allow for more restrictions if drought conditions worsen. So the new water shortage warning asks users to voluntarily water even less, for now, the district said.
For more information on water conservation and current conditions, visit sjrwmd.com.
