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Rain runneth over
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| Rainfall for July has raised Lake City’s rainfall to 7.48 inches, increasing the levels from 5.57 inches in July 2007. The Suwannee River was around 51 feet Thursday. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
River, ground water levels able to accommodate above-average rainfall.
Rainy days haven’t been going away as much this summer.
According to meteorologists at the National Weather Service, North Florida has been in a wet weather pattern since July, causing rainfall totals that are slightly above normal.
The rainfall has brought cooler temperatures to the area which have persisted into August.
“For the month of July, Lake City received about 7.48 inches of rain,” NWS Meteorologist Marie Trabert said. “In July 2007, Lake City had about 5.57 inches of rain.”
Thursday’s rainfall totals varied from one-half inch to 1.5 inches countywide, according to Trabert.
Even though nearly 2 inches more of rain has fallen in July and into August, the river and ground water levels are
holding steady.
“The (Suwannee) river is around 51 feet today,” said Wendall Hannum, owner of American Canoe Adventures in White Springs. “Last week it went down about a
half-a-foot, but then it came back up — that’s been the pattern all summer.”
A similar pattern is occurring in Georgia, too.
“We tend to be getting a lot of rain but the water levels aren’t rising as quickly as we would expect,” said Sara Aicher, a biologist with the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. “It depends on the time of year,” Aicher said, noting that in the summer the vegetation out in the swamp absorbs a lot of water.
Aicher said water levels measured at the Suwannee Canal are normal.
“I’ve heard the northeast portion of the swamp is drier and that there is water in the boat channels, but not in the marsh areas,” she said. “The Okefenokee Swamp is a set of terraced basins, so the water levels can vary greatly in different parts of the swamp.”
Ground water levels in Columbia County are holding steady as the area experiences a normal rainfall for the first summer in several years, according to Suwannee River Water Management District Hydrologist Megan Wetherington.
“The district’s long-term rainfall average is about 6.7 inches based
on 70 years of records,” said Wetherington According to Wetherington, rainfall totals for July were 7.04 inches based on radar measurements.
“The 12-month rainfall totals from Aug. 1, 2007, to July 31, 2008 — based on radar — was 50.32 inches.
“The long-term annual rainfall average is 53.6 inches, which leaves a current deficit of 3.28 inches, down from a peak of about 18 inches,” she said.
The average July rainfall throughout the county was 7.03 inches based on a radar estimate, said Wetherington.
Currently, the SRWMD is requesting voluntary water conservation.
“The ground water levels in Columbia County from Lake City south are considered to be extremely low, but it hasn’t gotten much worse and the past two months of rain have helped keep us from losing ground,” Wetherington said.
According to meteorologists at the National Weather Service, North Florida has been in a wet weather pattern since July, causing rainfall totals that are slightly above normal.
The rainfall has brought cooler temperatures to the area which have persisted into August.
“For the month of July, Lake City received about 7.48 inches of rain,” NWS Meteorologist Marie Trabert said. “In July 2007, Lake City had about 5.57 inches of rain.”
Thursday’s rainfall totals varied from one-half inch to 1.5 inches countywide, according to Trabert.
Even though nearly 2 inches more of rain has fallen in July and into August, the river and ground water levels are
holding steady.
“The (Suwannee) river is around 51 feet today,” said Wendall Hannum, owner of American Canoe Adventures in White Springs. “Last week it went down about a
half-a-foot, but then it came back up — that’s been the pattern all summer.”
A similar pattern is occurring in Georgia, too.
“We tend to be getting a lot of rain but the water levels aren’t rising as quickly as we would expect,” said Sara Aicher, a biologist with the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. “It depends on the time of year,” Aicher said, noting that in the summer the vegetation out in the swamp absorbs a lot of water.
Aicher said water levels measured at the Suwannee Canal are normal.
“I’ve heard the northeast portion of the swamp is drier and that there is water in the boat channels, but not in the marsh areas,” she said. “The Okefenokee Swamp is a set of terraced basins, so the water levels can vary greatly in different parts of the swamp.”
Ground water levels in Columbia County are holding steady as the area experiences a normal rainfall for the first summer in several years, according to Suwannee River Water Management District Hydrologist Megan Wetherington.
“The district’s long-term rainfall average is about 6.7 inches based
on 70 years of records,” said Wetherington According to Wetherington, rainfall totals for July were 7.04 inches based on radar measurements.
“The 12-month rainfall totals from Aug. 1, 2007, to July 31, 2008 — based on radar — was 50.32 inches.
“The long-term annual rainfall average is 53.6 inches, which leaves a current deficit of 3.28 inches, down from a peak of about 18 inches,” she said.
The average July rainfall throughout the county was 7.03 inches based on a radar estimate, said Wetherington.
Currently, the SRWMD is requesting voluntary water conservation.
“The ground water levels in Columbia County from Lake City south are considered to be extremely low, but it hasn’t gotten much worse and the past two months of rain have helped keep us from losing ground,” Wetherington said.
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| SRWMD to purchase 636 acres |
