How will the approved minimum flow regime protect manatees?
The minimum flow regime is designed to protect Blue Spring as a winter, warm-water refuge critical to the survival of a growing manatee population. The regime will provide adequate warm water from the spring in winter months, including during catastrophic cold-weather conditions. Catastrophic conditions are defined as the simultaneous occurrence of the lowest St. Johns River water level, the coldest river water temperature, and the lowest spring flow that would be expected to occur only once every 50 years, lasting for three or more consecutive days. The time period of 50 years is based on the long life span of the manatee and the three-day duration is based on laboratory studies of manatee tolerance to cold water.
