February 12, 2010 Area News 2

District Website Has New Look and Address

PALATKA, Fla., Feb. 12, 2010 — Locating and accessing water resource information on the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Web site just got easier.

Teresa H. Monson, Senior Communications Specialist, St. Johns River Water Management District, announced today the District has launched a new Web site, floridaswater.com.

“Our goal is to make information about the District and Florida’s water resources more accessible and current,” says Jeff Cole, director of the District’s Office of Communications and Governmental Affairs. “Using feedback we’ve received from Web visitors and changing industry and technological trends, we’ve reorganized the site into subject areas that are more intuitive, and we’ve streamlined and simplified many elements of the old site. To keep our site dynamic, our homepage will be frequently updated to highlight issues or projects that are of the greatest interest to the public.”

In its six-month redesign, the District has reorganized information into more user-friendly categories, redesigned pages to improve navigation, and added more video and graphic elements to the site.

Another major change is the Web site’s address — floridaswater.com, which has been featured in the District’s annual water conservation campaign since 2002. While the sjrwmd.com address and related bookmarked pages will continue to function, the floridaswater.com address will be used because it is easier to remember than the sjrwmd.com address and is a recognized URL.

Despite the new look and feel, many of the old favorite features remain. The Web site continues to provide access to permitting information, including a search tool for applications and permits, and pages on which you can sign up to be notified about applications and permits.

The site also offers online tools to obtain data on rainfall amounts, well levels and river levels. Visitors can also review the agency’s annual budget, get information on doing business with the District, and request free publications.