Lake Angelo and Lake Denton Minimum Level Reevaluations

The District adopted new minimum levels for Lake Angelo and Lake Denton, located in northern Highlands County in 2026.

MFL Overview

The District is directed by the Florida Legislature to establish minimum flows and levels (MFL) for water bodies within its boundaries. Minimum levels are defined in Section 373.042(1) of the Florida Statutes as “the limit at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area.” Once adopted into District rules, minimum levels can be used for water supply planning, water use permitting, and environmental resource regulation.

Final Minimum Level Reports

District staff reevaluated the minimum levels for both lakes and prepared draft reports recommending new minimum levels. The draft reports underwent an independent scientific peer review before being shared with government agencies and partners for additional review and feedback.

To promote transparency and encourage public participation, the District also held a virtual public meeting to present the draft reports and gather input from the public and media. After considering the feedback received, the reports were finalized and presented to the District's Governing Board for approval.

Lake Angelo and Lake Denton
Lake Angelo Final Report
Lake Denton Final Report
Initial Lakes Angelo and Denton Peer Review
Final Lakes Angelo and Denton Peer Review

Independent Scientific Peer Review Process

The draft minimum level reports, along with the scientific and technical data, methodologies, models and assumptions used to develop the proposed minimum levels for Lakes Angelo and Denton, were voluntarily subjected to an independent scientific peer review.

The peer review panel evaluated the scientific basis of the proposed minimum levels during a series of public meetings, each of which was listed on the District's calendar and included an opportunity for public comment.

The draft and final peer review reports are available above. Additional information about the peer review process, including meeting agendas, materials and other supporting documents, is available on the District's peer review webboard.

Virtual Public Workshop

A virtual public workshop was held November 13, 2025. At the workshop, District staff presented the draft reports for Lake Angelo and Lake Denton, and the public had an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions. All comments were considered by staff and any final updates were included in the final report before it was shared with the Governing Board for approval. 

Tentative Schedule