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IMPORTANT: 1) Please refer to the FWC Open/Close webpage for up-to-date information regarding area closures due to Hurricane Milton. 2) Due to construction work, the northern and western levees (including the two boat ramps on the western levee) will be closed to all public
access until further notice. All other boat ramps and parking areas will remain open
to the public. The
designated entrance has been moved to the southeast corner of the area (mile marker 53).
This
brochure is designed to provide the public with information and a summary of
regulations pertaining to hunting and other recreational use on the A-1 FEB
Impoundment Public Small Game Hunting Area. Regulations that are new or differ
substantially from last year are shown in bold print. Area users should
familiarize themselves with all regulations. For exact wording of the wildlife
laws and regulations, see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission’s wildlife code, on file with the Secretary of State and state
libraries. This brochure and the Florida Hunting Regulations handbook should
provide the information necessary for you to plan your hunting activities.
These publications are available from any Commission office, county tax
collector, and at MyFWC.com.
Persons
using public small game hunting areas are required to have appropriate
licenses, permits, and stamps. The following persons are exempt from all license
and permit requirements (except for the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation
Stamp [federal duck stamp]): Florida residents who are 65 years of age or
older; residents who possess a Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and
Fishing Certificate; residents in the U.S. Armed Forces, not stationed in
Florida, while home on leave for 30 days or less, upon submission of orders;
and children under 16 years of age. Children under 16 years of age are also exempt
from the federal duck stamp.
Licenses and permits may be purchased from county tax collectors, license agents, by telephone at 888-486-8356, or at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. A no-cost Migratory Bird Permit is available when purchasing a hunting license. Any waterfowl hunter 16 years of age or older must possess a federal duck stamp (available where hunting licenses are sold, at most post offices, or at www.duckstamp.com).
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Quota Permit
Information:
Waterfowl –
100, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions, non-transferable) for each hunt during Early Waterfowl or General Waterfowl hunt. A quota permit is not required during Youth Waterfowl or Veterans and Active Military Waterfowl hunts.
Each permit
holder may bring up to two hunting guests. The host permit holder and their hunting guests must enter and exit the area together and share a street-legal vehicle
while hunting on the area. Guest hunters may actively participate in the hunt only while the host is on the area. Only persons 15 years of age and younger may harvest waterfowl during Youth Waterfowl days. A youth hunter must be accompanied by at least one non-hunting adult, per F.S. 790.22. Adult supervisors with required licenses and permits may actively participate in Youth Waterfowl Hunts but shall not take wildlife with a gun. During Veterans and Military Waterfowl days, only individuals with a valid military hunting license or veterans/military ID are allowed to harvest waterfowl. Non-hunting assistants with required licenses and permits may actively participate in Veterans and Active Military Waterfowl Hunts but shall not take wildlife with a gun. As this area is open to public access during waterfowl hunts, individuals not actively participating in the hunt are not considered guest hunters. See "Waterfowl Season" section below for a complete list of license and permit requirements.
Hunters must submit electronic applications for A-1 FEB Waterfowl Permits at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Application periods, deadlines, worksheets, and instructions are available at MyFWC.com, FWC offices, or county tax collector's offices.
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Area Regulations
- General
General Area Regulations:
All general
laws and regulations relating to wild animal life or freshwater aquatic life
shall apply unless specifically exempted for this area. Hunting or the taking
of wildlife or fish on this area shall be allowed only during the open seasons,
and in accordance with the following regulations:
1. Taking or attempting to take any game with
the aid of live decoys, recorded game calls or sounds, set guns, artificial
light, net, trap, snare, drugs, or poison is prohibited.
2. The wanton and willful waste of wildlife is
prohibited.
3. Public access is prohibited on any portion
of the area posted as “Closed” or “Restricted.”
4. Taking or herding wildlife from any
motorized vehicle, aircraft, or boat which is under power is prohibited, until
power and movement from that power, has ceased.
5. The release of any animal is prohibited,
without written authorization of the landowner or primary land manager.
6. It is unlawful for any person to leave any
garbage, refuse, or in any way litter in the area.
7. It is unlawful to set fire to any forest,
grass, or woodland.
8. A Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Law Enforcement Officer may search any camp, vehicle, or boat in accordance
with law.
9. Spent shell casings and all materials used for temporary blinds must be removed after each hunt.
Construction or use of permanent blinds or structures is prohibited.
10. Tampering with or destruction of equipment,
improvements, or water control structures is prohibited.
11. Cutting or damaging fences is prohibited.
12. Fires
are prohibited.
13. It is illegal to hunt over bait or place any bait or food for wildlife on this area.
- Public Access and Vehicles
Public Access and Vehicles:
1. This area is open to public access year-round on Fridays through Sundays only.
2. Persons must enter and exit at the designated entrance.
3. Licensed and registered motor vehicles may be operated year-round (Fridays-Sundays only) but only on designated levee roads (see map).
4. The speed limit on designated levee roads is 20 mph, except the speed limit is 5 mph when meeting oncoming vehicles or passing parked vehicles.
5. Motor vehicles may not be operated along the bottom of a levee or on any portion of a levee road posted as closed to vehicular traffic.
6. Airboats, vessels having an internal combustion engine, tracked vehicles, unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, recreational off-highway vehicles (side-by-sides), and swamp buggies are prohibited. Vessels with electric
motors are allowed.
7. Trailers, including boat trailers, are prohibited, except that permitted alligator hunters may trailer vessels equipped with electric motors or non-motorized vessels (backing trailers down levees is prohibited).
8. All vessels must be equipped with required
boating safety equipment.
9. Parked vehicles may only be parked in designated parking areas or alongside levee roads and may not obstruct any road, levee, gate, or boat launch.
10. Class 1 electric bicycles may be operated according to rules for traditional, non-motorized bicycles. All other electric bicycles may be operated only on named or numbered roads open to motorized vehicles. For more information visit MyFWC.com/ebike. - Hunters
Hunters:
1. All
levees, roads, boat launches, parking areas, water control structures, and
earthen berms are closed to hunting, except permitted alligator hunters may take alligators from levees and adjacent earthen berms during open seasons. Hunting is prohibited in any portion of
the area designated (either on-site or in the brochure) as closed to hunting.
- Guns
Guns:
1. The discharge of a firearm outside of
periods open to hunting or in areas closed to hunting is prohibited per s.
790.15 FS.
2. Hunting with firearms other than shotguns is
prohibited.
3. For hunting migratory birds, only shotguns, bows, crossbows, and falconry may be used. Shotguns must be 10 gauge or smaller and incapable of holding more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
4. Shooting hours are from ½ hour before
sunrise until sunset.
5. Use of non-toxic shot approved by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is required.
6. Children under the age of 16 hunting with a
firearm must be in the presence of a supervising adult.
7. No
person shall discharge a firearm or have a loaded firearm in hand while under
the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Dogs
Dogs:
1. Dogs are prohibited, except waterfowl
retrievers may be used for hunting ducks, light geese, and coot during waterfowl
seasons.
2. Waterfowl
retrievers must be kept under physical restraint when not hunting.
- Camping
Camping:
Camping is prohibited.
- Bag and Possession Limits
- Report a Band
- General Information
About the A-1 Flow Equalization Basin:
Located in
southern Palm Beach County, west of U.S. Highway 27, the A-1 Flow Equalization
Basin (FEB) assists in optimizing the performance of two nearby Stormwater
Treatment Areas (STAs) in removing phosphorus. It can hold up to 60,000
acre-feet of water up to 4 feet deep, and then deliver water in a controlled
manner to the treatment areas. It is surrounded by 21 miles of levees with 15
associated water control structures. The A-1 FEB is the largest of three FEBs
in the State of Florida’s Restoration Strategies plan to improve water quality
in the Everglades.
A-1 FEB is a
constructed storage feature used to capture and temporarily store peak
stormwater flows. Water managers can move water from FEBs to STAs at steady
rates to optimize STA performance and help achieve water quality improvement
targets. STAs are constructed wetlands that serve as the water-cleaning
workhorses of Everglades restoration, using both emergent and submerged aquatic
vegetation to naturally remove nutrients from the water that eventually flows
to the Everglades.
Completed in
2015, A-1 FEB is a shallow impoundment that captures, stores and delivers
stormwater runoff to STAs 2 and 3/4 to improve their treatment performance. As
a shallow FEB, A-1 also contains emergent vegetation to help reduce
phosphorus concentrations before moving water to the STAs. It was built upon
significant earthwork previously completed at the site. Onsite excavated
material was used to build new levees and existing canals were incorporated
into the FEB design.
A-1 FEB
is open for public recreation on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and closed all other
days. Please take care when enjoying hiking, biking, and hunting at this
facility so that recreation can be enjoyed by others today and in the future.
Danger: this site contains abrupt drop-offs and deep trenches - drowning hazard.
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General Area Regulations:
All general
laws and regulations relating to wild animal life or freshwater aquatic life
shall apply unless specifically exempted for this area. Hunting or the taking
of wildlife or fish on this area shall be allowed only during the open seasons,
and in accordance with the following regulations:
1. Taking or attempting to take any game with
the aid of live decoys, recorded game calls or sounds, set guns, artificial
light, net, trap, snare, drugs, or poison is prohibited.
2. The wanton and willful waste of wildlife is
prohibited.
3. Public access is prohibited on any portion
of the area posted as “Closed” or “Restricted.”
4. Taking or herding wildlife from any
motorized vehicle, aircraft, or boat which is under power is prohibited, until
power and movement from that power, has ceased.
5. The release of any animal is prohibited,
without written authorization of the landowner or primary land manager.
6. It is unlawful for any person to leave any
garbage, refuse, or in any way litter in the area.
7. It is unlawful to set fire to any forest,
grass, or woodland.
8. A Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Law Enforcement Officer may search any camp, vehicle, or boat in accordance
with law.
9. Spent shell casings and all materials used for temporary blinds must be removed after each hunt.
Construction or use of permanent blinds or structures is prohibited.
10. Tampering with or destruction of equipment,
improvements, or water control structures is prohibited.
11. Cutting or damaging fences is prohibited.
12. Fires
are prohibited.
13. It is illegal to hunt over bait or place any bait or food for wildlife on this area. |
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Public Access and Vehicles:
1. This area is open to public access year-round on Fridays through Sundays only.
2. Persons must enter and exit at the designated entrance.
3. Licensed and registered motor vehicles may be operated year-round (Fridays-Sundays only) but only on designated levee roads (see map).
4. The speed limit on designated levee roads is 20 mph, except the speed limit is 5 mph when meeting oncoming vehicles or passing parked vehicles.
5. Motor vehicles may not be operated along the bottom of a levee or on any portion of a levee road posted as closed to vehicular traffic.
6. Airboats, vessels having an internal combustion engine, tracked vehicles, unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, recreational off-highway vehicles (side-by-sides), and swamp buggies are prohibited. Vessels with electric
motors are allowed.
7. Trailers, including boat trailers, are prohibited, except that permitted alligator hunters may trailer vessels equipped with electric motors or non-motorized vessels (backing trailers down levees is prohibited).
8. All vessels must be equipped with required
boating safety equipment.
9. Parked vehicles may only be parked in designated parking areas or alongside levee roads and may not obstruct any road, levee, gate, or boat launch.
10. Class 1 electric bicycles may be operated according to rules for traditional, non-motorized bicycles. All other electric bicycles may be operated only on named or numbered roads open to motorized vehicles. For more information visit MyFWC.com/ebike.
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Hunters:
1. All
levees, roads, boat launches, parking areas, water control structures, and
earthen berms are closed to hunting, except permitted alligator hunters may take alligators from levees and adjacent earthen berms during open seasons. Hunting is prohibited in any portion of
the area designated (either on-site or in the brochure) as closed to hunting.
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Guns:
1. The discharge of a firearm outside of
periods open to hunting or in areas closed to hunting is prohibited per s.
790.15 FS.
2. Hunting with firearms other than shotguns is
prohibited.
3. For hunting migratory birds, only shotguns, bows, crossbows, and falconry may be used. Shotguns must be 10 gauge or smaller and incapable of holding more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
4. Shooting hours are from ½ hour before
sunrise until sunset.
5. Use of non-toxic shot approved by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is required.
6. Children under the age of 16 hunting with a
firearm must be in the presence of a supervising adult.
7. No
person shall discharge a firearm or have a loaded firearm in hand while under
the influence of alcohol or drugs. |
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Dogs:
1. Dogs are prohibited, except waterfowl
retrievers may be used for hunting ducks, light geese, and coot during waterfowl
seasons.
2. Waterfowl
retrievers must be kept under physical restraint when not hunting. |
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Camping:
Camping is prohibited. |
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Bag and Possession Limits:
1. Ducks, geese (including Egyptian geese), and coot - See migratory bird hunting
regulations.
2. Non-native
reptiles - no size or bag limit. |
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