Florida’s Aquifer Protection Program is the state’s frontline defense for keeping underground drinking water clean and safe.
Following the federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, this program has monitored and enforced operational standards for well construction and operation in Florida.
Florida’s aquifers have been here for millions of years, and keeping them healthy is a statewide priority.
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📍: Manatee Springs State Park
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@America250FL
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#FLDEP
Congratulations to our 2026 Earth Day Poster Contest winners! 🌎🖌️
Thank you for sharing your creativity and exploring what lies beneath Florida’s coastal waters!
High School Winner:
Ewanteke, 12th grade, Ahfachkee School
"See the Sea"
Middle School Winner:
Jacqueline, 8th Grade, Orlando Science Middle School
“Mapping Our Underwater Utopia”
Elementary School Winner:
Shakhina, 5th Grade, Bay Lake Elementary School
"Life Beneath the Wave"
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#FLDEP #EarthDay
Through Florida Forever, DEP has secured a 10,023-acre conservation easement in Gulf County within the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape.
Sentinel landscapes are areas where national defense, conservation and working lands converge.
This property acquisition will:
✔️ Help maintain compatible land use near nine military installations and training ranges.
✔️ Protect the natural resources of the region.
✔️ Preserve working forests in a rapidly developing area, sustaining rural economies.
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📍: Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape
📸: Courtesy of Lauren Yoho/Wildpath
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#FLDEP #Conservation #FloridaForever
Happy Earth Day! 🌍🍃
At DEP, protecting Florida’s environment is not something we do once a year; it is what we do every day, rain or shine, in labs, in offices, in the field and everywhere in between. For over 50 years Earth Day has served as a reminder to celebrate our natural spaces and to give back to the places that give us so much.
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📷: Lauren Yoho / Wildpath
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#FLDEP #EarthDay
The Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail is one of the state’s greatest adventures, a 1,500-mile journey that wraps around the entire coastline and showcases Florida from a new perspective.
Beginning at Big Lagoon State Park and ending at Fort Clinch State Park, the trail passes through 80 @FL.StateParks and 39 Florida Aquatic Preserves, offering a rare chance to experience Florida from the water one shoreline at a time. It’s not just a trail but the ultimate Florida journey.
Explore the trail, submit your own photos and connect with other paddlers: /
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📍: Big Lagoon State Park
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#FLDEP #Paddling #FLStateParks #FloridaAquaticPreserves
Discover the history of Florida’s Geology!
The Florida Geological Survey offers a huge collection of articles, videos, posters, maps, virtual exhibits and classroom activities that make Florida’s geology easy to teach and fun to explore.
For fossil lovers, their webpage includes guides to identifying fossils, access to the state fossil collection, printable activities, 3D models and videos on prehistoric Florida.
For educational resources: FloridaDEP.gov/FGS
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📍: Liberty County, FL
📸: Courtesy of Florida Memory, circa 1954
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@America250FL
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#TheRealFlorida #HistoricEncounters #FloridaHeritage #America250FL
Today, DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert joined @FLGovRonDesantis and @USACEHQ to celebrate a landmark agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers that accelerates the EAA Reservoir’s construction timeline by five full years.
By working collaboratively with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers instead of around each other, we can get the work done in a way that saves time and delivers results.
The EAA Reservoir will store over 78 billion gallons of water and deliver up to 470 billion gallons of clean water to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
This investment is a win-win for the Everglades and generations of Floridians.
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#FLDEP #Everglades #Restoration
Happy Everglades Day! Today we celebrate the hard work Florida is putting in to restore and preserve this unique ecosystem.
When Governor DeSantis took office, he promised to make Everglades restoration a priority and has kept that promise. Since 2019, we have completed, broken ground or achieved a major milestone on 80 Everglades restoration projects. We are committed to continuing this important work that will benefit Floridians for generations to come.
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#FLDEP #ResilienceInAction #Conservation #FloridiansFirst #AmericasEverglades #EvergladesDay
🌍🎨Calling All Student Artists, Parents and Art Teachers! 🎨🌍
The DEP Earth Day Poster Contest 2026 is open! This year’s theme, “See the Sea Floor: Discover Florida Beneath the Waves,” highlights the Florida Seafloor Mapping Initiative, a statewide effort using advanced tools like sonar and LiDAR to reveal underwater landscapes, coral reefs and hidden geological features.
📢Open to students in grades 4-12.
🖌️Show us your creativity by illustrating what you imagine lies beneath the surface and how these discoveries guide scientists in protecting Florida’s coasts.
🏆Submit your entry by April 22.
For more information: FloridaDEP.gov/EarthDay
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📸: Winning posters from years past
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#FLDEP #EarthDay
Barrier islands have shaped Florida’s history.
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park sits on a constantly shifting barrier island built by wind, waves and river‑carried sediments.
These islands protect bays like Apalachicola from powerful Gulf waves, creating the calm estuaries that coastal communities and wildlife depend on.
These islands also prevent mainland Florida from feeling the full force of hurricanes and extreme storms.
A visit here is a front‑row seat to Florida’s historic coast.
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📍: Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
💡: Plan your historic encounter at FloridaStateParks.org. Before you visit, check the KNOW BEFORE YOU GO section on the park’s webpage for real-time updates and helpful information.
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@America250FL
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#FLStateParks #StGeorgeIsland #TheRealFlorida #LoveFL #HistoricEncounters #FloridaHeritage #America250FL
Staff at Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve teamed up with a local school to outplant mangrove pups at Oleta River State Park.
Students and staff teamed together to prepare outdoor equipment, quantify supplies and clean up marine debris around the school grounds.
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💡: Before you go, visit FloridaAquaticPreserves.org for updates and helpful information.
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#FLDEP #ResilienceInAction
DEP is reducing waste in Florida. ⬇️ 🗑️
Our Division of Waste Management, part of DEP since its restructure in 1993, provides programs to help Floridians reduce waste on a day-to-day basis.
This division promotes and monitors statewide recycling and waste reduction programs as well as the proper management of household hazardous waste, helping protect Florida’s natural resources.
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📍: Tallahassee, FL
📸: Courtesy of Florida Memory, 1990
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@America250FL
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#FloridaDEP #WasteManagement #WasteReduction
