RESOURCES                                   

Be Informed.

Idea 1. Visit Our website.

Yay! You’ve done that already! Now you know where to read about the things that are important to OUR Santa Fe River – in one place. When you want to find out about the river, make Our Website your first stop.

Idea 2. Sign up for Our Newsletter. 

If you don’t visit Our Website every day, you could sign up for Our Newsletter.  This way, you’ll be notified by email whenever something new is published on Our Website. Read more about our Newsletters here.

Idea 3. Visit other informative websites.

We have tons of links, right here on Our Website that will take you to all of our favorite links. There are links to government websites, activist websites, business websites and even artist websites. Go to our Links page by clicking Links on the menu bar.

Idea 1. Check your toilet for leaks. 

A leaky toilet can waste up to 1,000 gallons of water each month. Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.

Idea 2. Wash your dishes in a sinkful of water.

Instead of letting your water run as you wash dishes, fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

Idea 3. Bucket your cold water. 

Save excess water from your shower as it warms up or runs and use it to water plants.

Idea 4. Turn it off.

Turn off the water when you shave and save up to 300 gallons/month. Turn off the water while you wash your hair and save up to 150 gallons/month. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth and save up to 25 gallons/month.

Idea 5. Thaw food in the refrigerator.

For efficiency and food safety, thaw food in the refrigerator as opposed to running water, or just use a pitcher of water and use it to water the plants afterward.

Idea 6. Reduce your time in the shower.

Reducing your time in the shower by just one minute saves up to 150 gallons/month.

Idea 7. LIMIT THE USE of fertilizers and pesticides in your environment.

Remember that because of our Karst Topography, chemicals used on your lawn and garden can drain quickly into our aquifer and then flow back up into our springs and river.

So, there you have it. A lot of ideas to help you help Our Santa Fe River. From the very easiest to the more involved, there is a way to help. Choose what you can do, and if you’re just getting involved, start small and work your way up. Every thing you do, no matter how small or how big, is important.

And you may have noticed that all across Our Website, the Our in Our Santa Fe River is written in italics. That’s to remind you that the Santa Fe River is your river, too, and that makes OSFR your organization. We need you. With you we become strong. You are important to Our Santa Fe River.

Be informed. Get involved. Conserve.

Get involved.

Idea 1. Become a member of OSFR. 

Okay. This is really easy…click here and select the level of support you would like, add it to your cart, and checkout with PayPal! You don’t have to do anything else. You may ask…how does that help? Well, when we can say that we speak for 1,000 or 10,000 members, that makes a big difference. It makes Our Voice louder.

Idea 2. Support OSFR financially.

Yes, money makes things easier. And with money we can do more. We can print more pamphlets. And pay lawyers.

We take contributions online* here for as little as $10, less than some people pay for 3 cups of coffee. Do without your coffee for one week and give the money to us :-). Every little bit helps and the big bits help even more. And it’s easy and safe to do with PayPal. You don’t need a PayPal account, but if you have one, it makes things that much easier.  Click here to see how your donations get put to work.

Idea 3. Speak out!

If your first thought is “I’m afraid to speak in public”, don’t worry! Speaking out doesn’t just mean writing letters to the editor or your elected officials or speaking out at public meetings. Speaking out can be as simple and easy as talking to your friends, neighbors and colleagues. Tell them about Our Website. Better yet, send them a link! And send them links to important articles that you read on Our Website and elsewhere.

Here’s a simple idea to Speak Out that could make a HUGE difference:

WRITE A LETTER to EACH of the following Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) Board Members to let them know that ……

“Given the very low water flow levels of the Santa Fe River and the declining health of our Springs, I, as a tax paying citizen of this state, demand that SRWMD stop the issuance of ALL new Water Permits until such time that the normal flow levels of the river are re established.”

Send a separate letter to each member of the SRWMD Board of Directors: Chair, Virginia Johns; Vice Chair, Richard Schwab; Secretary/Treasurer, Charles Keith; Virginia Sanchez; Larry Sessions; Harry Smith; Larry Thompson.

And use the same address for all letters:
Suwannee River Water Management District
9225 County Road 49
Live Oak, FL 32060

Idea 4. Go to meetings.

Check out our Meetings & Events page by clicking Calendar on the menu bar. Here you’ll find all of the meetings and events we know about that are important to Our Santa Fe River. Pick one and go. Just having warm bodies in these meetings helps. And you’ll be amazed at the things you’ll learn.

Idea 5. Volunteer. 

Make OSFR part of what you do to protect Our River. Commit to 1 hour a month, or 1 hour a week, or just 1 hour. We have so many things to help with…so many ways you can get involved. To get started, go to I’d Like to Volunteer! and fill out the simple questionnaire. The questionnaire helps you get an idea of what you can help out with and hook you up with the best Board Member that can help you help us!

Idea 6. Become a Board Member.

You can make a difference. Bring your ideas to an organization that gets heard. Be a Voice for Our Santa Fe River. Just fill out our online application and someone will get back to you on what happens next.

Our Santa Fe River currently has Board Seats available. Board meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month.