A wet March relieves near drought conditions throughout most of the District

After a dry February, above-average rainfall throughout most of the region relieved signs of drought in the central and northern region of the District as reported in the U.S. Drought Monitor. The districtwide total of 7.03 inches is double the average rainfall for March.

A full report outlining March’s hydrologic conditions was presented at the District’s Governing Board meeting Tuesday. Highlights include:

Rainfall

• Districtwide, March rainfall averaged 7.03 inches, which is 3.56 inches above the average for the month.
• Alachua County had the most rainfall, with a countywide average of 11.7 inches.
• Indian River County, which is still abnormally dry, received only 1.76 inches.
• Districtwide, the cumulative rainfall total for the past 12 months is 54.22 inches, which is 3.21 inches above the long-term average.

Groundwater 

• Upper Floridan aquifer conditions (groundwater levels) at the end of March were a mix of high and normal conditions across the District. Water levels in many of the wells across the District increased more than 10 percentile points.
• Groundwater levels are at the 68th percentile Districtwide. This means that since 1980, aquifer levels have been higher than they currently are about 32 percent of the time.

Surface water flows

• On April 1, flow in all stations across the District was in the average or high range.
• On April 1, flow in the St. Johns River’s headwaters at the Melbourne station was 259 million gallons per day (mgd) (72nd percentile).
• Flow in the Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota was in the high range at 223 mgd (82nd percentile).
• Flow in the Wekiva River near Sanford was in the high range at 207 mgd (83rd percentile).
• Flow at the St. Johns River DeLand station was also in the high range at 2,558 mgd (81st percentile).
• Flow in the Ocklawaha River, the largest tributary to the St. Johns River, was in the average range at 574 mgd (54th percentile).
• Flow at the St. Johns River near Satsuma station was in the average range at     4,151 mgd (73rd percentile).
• Flow in the St. Marys River near Macclenny was in the high range at 906 mgd (84th percentile).

Lake levels

• Lake Brooklyn water levels increased 1.5 feet to 101.3 feet in March and remains below average. 
• Lake Weir water levels had a slight increase from last month of 0.3 foot to 53.7 feet.
• Lake Winnemissett water level increased 0.3 foot from last month to 56.6 feet.
• Lake Apopka water levels increased by 0.3 foot to 65.9 feet in March. Lake Apopka is part of a system with water control structures that are operated by the District.
• Blue Cypress Lake levels decreased to 21.7 feet. Blue Cypress is also part of a system with water control structures that are operated by the District. During April and May, the regulation schedule levels drop in preparation for the summer wet season. 

Spring flows

• The mean monthly flow at Silver Springs decreased to 681 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 440 mgd, which is a 28 cfs decrease from February’s mean.
• At the Blue Spring station in Volusia County, the mean monthly flow was 172 cfs, or 111 mgd.
• At Rock Springs, the monthly mean flow decreased 1 cfs to 59 cfs (38 mgd), which is in the normal range for March.
• Mean monthly flow at Wekiwa Springs decreased slightly to 64 cfs (41 mgd), which is in the normal range for the time of year. 

To learn more about rainfall totals and other hydrologic data collected, visit sjrwmd.com.

Visit WaterLessFlorida.com for tips to help landscapes thrive while saving water and money. Follow the water conservation conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation #savewater.

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Jacksonville and Palm Bay.