Withlacoochee River Update - 5/2/2019

Water Levels and Flows Continue to Decline as Dry Season Continues

 Rainfall:

• After almost no rain in March, our region received 3.5 inches of rain in April.
• This brings our annual total to 10 inches, a couple inches less than the historical average (12.4 inches) for the first 4 months of the year.
• Even with more rain in April, our water resources are continuing to naturally decline.
• River levels and flows typically drop during the dry season (October to May) when rainfall is minimal.

 

Withlacoochee River:

• Water levels on the Withlacoochee River naturally fell about 5-10 inches in April, less than the previous month which saw a 2-3 foot drop in March.
• The river also lost about half its flow over the past month and flows from the Green Swamp have nearly ceased.
• Despite these continued declines, water levels and flows remain higher than they were a year ago, thanks to high rainfall in 2018.
• River levels and flows are expected to continue to decline over the next several weeks as our dry season continues.
• The table below compares current river levels and flows to what they were one month ago and one year ago.

 

 

Withlacoochee River in the Green Swamp (April 2019)

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Best Regards,

Mark

 

Mark Fulkerson, Ph.D., P.E.

Southwest Florida Water Management District

(352) 796-7211, ext. 4410

(800) 423-1476 (FL only)

(352) 279-4493 (cell)

Mark.Fulkerson@WaterMatters.org

Withlacoochee River Watershed Initiative