Withlacoochee Update (Post-Milton) - 10/27/2024

Flooding Persists Along the Withlacoochee River

 

Withlacoochee River:

• Flooding persists along the entire Withlacoochee River as strong flows caused by Hurricane Milton make their way down the river's 160-mile length.
• Some locations along the Withlacoochee River are dropping, some are now cresting, and others are still rising 2 ½ weeks after Milton.
• Most areas along the river (from the Green Swamp to Hwy 48) have crested and are slowly dropping.
• Last Wednesday (10/23) the river near Hwy 48 and Trails End reached its highest level and began slowly falling over the weekend.
• It appears that areas near Lake Panasoffkee, the Outlet River and Wysong are rising very slowly now and should be cresting over the next day or so.
• Downstream near Hwy 44, the river is still rising but not as sharply as it had been over the past week. River levels there should crest this week, maybe only rising another few inches.
• At Hwy 200, the Withlacoochee is also still rising. NOAA predicts it will continue to rise this week, possibly cresting another 4-6 inches higher.
• River levels are also still rising near Dunnellon, as historic flows make their way downstream. Dunnellon may rise several more inches by this weekend.
• The Inglis Dam at the west end of Lake Rousseau remains open discharging 3 billion gallons of water per day from the river into the Barge Canal near the Gulf of Mexico.
• Within the next week, all areas along the Withlacoochee River should have crested and begun to slowly drop.

 

 

Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes:

• Floodwaters continue to be diverted from the Withlacoochee River into the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes near Hwy 48.
• The lakes are close their high levels and are not expected to rise more than an inch or two.
• The Leslie Heifner, Golf Course, Moccasin Slough, Brogden Bridge and Van Ness Structures remain open.
• Water is exiting the lake chain and flowing into Two-Mile Prairie.
• The S-353 structure in Hernando was closed a week ago to prevent additional flow back into the Withlacoochee River near Hwy 200.

 

 

Lake Panasoffkee and Wysong Structure:

• Lake Panasoffkee in very slowly rising and appears to be cresting soon (1-2 days).
• The Withlacoochee River at the Outlet River (which also appears to be cresting today or tomorrow) is nearly the same level as the lake now.
• High flows are still entering Lake Pan from the east, but as the Withlacoochee crests and begins dropping, water will again flow strongly out of Lake Panasoffkee.
• The Wysong Structure on the Withlacoochee River, which was fully lowered in early August, remains fully lowered.
• Lake Panasoffkee is currently an inch below the peak level reached during the 2004 hurricanes (two decades ago).

 

Have a great week!

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