Environment

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Choctawhatchee Bay estuary program public workshop May 11

The Choctawhatchee Bay Estuary Program, the University of Florida and the University of West Florida will be hosting a workshop on May 11, 2021 from 6 – 7 p.m. The workshop is designed to help shape priorities for management strategies of the Choctawhatchee Bay watershed. This is one installment of a three part workshop series designed to address the different parts of the  watershed. This workshop will be focused Florida’s Choctawhatchee Bay and the surrounding area. Join in for an...

Gulf coast lupine blooms along South Walton area beaches

Beautiful blue shrub a welcome sight In the springtime, sand dunes along the beaches in South Walton are dolloped with beautiful blue lupine. The gulf coast lupine (Lupinus westianus) is a native plant and endemic to Northwest Florida. Lupine habitats are sand hills, scrubs and coastal dunes. This particluar perennial shrub is only found in a few counties with Walton fortunate enough to be one of them. The beautiful blue flowers provide a delicate lavender-like scent. Early settlers to the...

FWC offers tips to help people and pets safely co-exist with alligators 

Warm spring weather means Florida’s state reptile – the American alligator – becomes more active and visible. It’s also a popular time of year for people to enjoy the outdoors with their pets. To help keep people and pets safer when spending time near the water, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is introducing a new graphic outlining important safety tips. “We wanted to produce a tool with easy-to-remember advice that people could easily share with their friends...

Health advisory issued for Morrison Springs

Walton County – The Health Advisory is issued on January 6, 2021, for Morrison Springs.  The Advisory is issued based on the criteria for fecal indicator bacteria. This should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public and swimming is not recommended.  Samples taken are above the public health threshold for fecal indicator bacteria. Water quality exceedances are based upon the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended standard of no more than 61 Enterococci CFU/100mL, or 235 E....