Withlacoochee River Conditions Update - 9/23/2024

Update on Withlacoochee River Conditions

 

Just wanted to send a quick update on river, lake, and structure conditions as the tropical storm season heats up.

 

Tropical Outlook

• There is a high chance of a tropical system moving through the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days.
• While there is some uncertainty with the forecast, it is likely we will see heavy rainfall by the end of the week.
• Refer to the National Hurricane Center forecast page for official information (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=7).

 

 

 

Withlacoochee River

• River levels are currently high.
• River flooding is possible if widespread rainfall from a tropical system impacts our area in the near future.
• There are no structures that can prevent flooding along the Withlacoochee from the Green Swamp downstream past Hwy 200.
• If the area receives little or no rainfall, river levels will continue to decline.

 

Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes

• Rainfall and river inflows have helped raise lake levels in recent weeks.
• All three pools of Tsala Apopka are currently about 7 inches below their high levels.
• Today we are closing all structures on the lake chain to allow the lakes to absorb additional rainfall forecasted for this week.
• Once the tropical threat passes, we’ll re-open structures to help top off the lakes before the dry season begins.

 

Lake Panasoffkee and Wysong

• Water levels on Lake Panasoffkee have fallen about 5 inches over the past couple weeks due to minimal rainfall and naturally dropping river levels.
• Downstream on the Withlacoochee River, the Wysong water conservation structure remains fully lowered, with no impacts on regional water levels.
• Forecasted tropical system rainfall may increase river flows again forcing us to keep Wysong fully lowered.
• If the region receives minimal rainfall in the coming days, we’ll prepare to install the boat barriers on the river and start incrementally raising Wysong again.

 

Lake Rousseau and the Lower Withlacoochee

• The only times when Lake Rousseau is lowered below its normal level is during the threat of coastal storm surge or when the river is flooding immediately upstream.
• Over the past couple months, Lake Rousseau has been kept below its normal level, due to high water conditions upstream.
• Now, with the threat of potential storm surge later this week, Lake Rousseau will be lowered again to create storage ahead of the storm.
• This will allow us to close the Inglis Dam and Bypass Spillway during the high tide/storm surge cycle, preventing further impacts downstream along the Lower Withlacoochee River.
• Lowering Lake Rousseau cannot prevent flooding near Hwy 200 or areas farther upstream.
• Once the threat passes, Lake Rousseau will be raised back up to its normal level.
• There is no way to prevent storm surge along the coast, downstream of Lake Rousseau.

 

Hope you have a great week and be safe!

 

Mark

 

 

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

Chief Professional Engineer

Southwest Florida Water Management District

 (352) 269-6073 (office)

(352) 279-4493 (cell)

Mark.Fulkerson@WaterMatters.org

 Withlacoochee River Watershed Initiative