Water District Opens 2027 Calendar Photo Contest, Including Levy County Lands
The Suwannee River Water Management District wants photos of its public lands - some of which sit in Levy County - for its 2027 calendar, with entries due Sept. 25.
What the district is asking for
The Suwannee River Water Management District has opened its annual photography competition, seeking images of district-owned lands for its 2027 wall calendar. The district’s announcement sets a firm deadline: all entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 25.
A four-person district panel will judge submissions through October, choosing 13 winning images - one cover photo and 12 for the monthly pages. Winners will be announced by the end of October, will receive credit in the printed calendar and on the district’s social media accounts, and will get copies of the finished calendar. Photographers keep ownership of their images; the district says it will contact winners separately to discuss usage and timing before publication.
The Levy County connection
The Suwannee River Water Management District’s boundary runs through part of Levy County, alongside the Withlacoochee and Waccasassa river systems, and the district holds conservation lands in that area. That means Levy County residents and visitors who photograph district-owned tracts - not privately held land, and not areas managed by other agencies such as the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge or Southwest Florida Water Management District - are eligible to enter, provided the images were taken on district property.
Photographers submit through an online form on the district’s site, which requires a location and details for each image, such as season or a specific event. Each entrant may submit up to five photos. By submitting, photographers grant the district permission to use the images in the calendar and on social media if selected, though ownership rights stay with the photographer for any future use.
What this does not change
This is a photo contest, not a rulemaking, permit action or budget item. It does not affect water withdrawal permits, minimum flows and levels, or any regulatory matter pending before the district’s governing board. No public comment period applies here in the way it would for a rule change; the “deadline” in play is the Sept. 25 entry cutoff, not a regulatory comment window. Readers looking for district decisions that carry legal weight - board actions, permit rulings or budget votes - should watch the district’s governing board meeting materials separately.
Why it’s worth a note
The contest is a modest but real avenue for local recognition. District-owned lands in this stretch of north central Florida - river corridors, wetlands and buffer lands - rarely get statewide attention outside of permit disputes or storm coverage. A calendar credit is a small thing, but it’s one of the few ways the district publicly showcases the specific acres it manages, including any within Levy County’s boundaries. Local photographers with images from district tracts have a concrete, near-term chance to see their work distributed beyond the county line.
Anyone with images from district land in Levy County who wants to enter should use the submission form linked on the district’s photography competition page before the Sept. 25 cutoff. The district has not indicated whether it will publish a full list of judged entries or only the winning 13, so photographers hoping for feedback beyond a win or loss should not expect additional commentary from the panel.