Rainfall in the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) was below average during December; which is to say that the rainfall was 1.80 inches, compared to the long-term average of 3.17 inches, although parts of Madison and Taylor counties experienced five inches or more.
This is according to the district’s latest hydrologic conditions report.
“The highest gauged monthly rainfall total (4.90 inches) was recorded at the Hopewell Tower rainfall station in southern Madison County, and the highest daily total (2.16 inches) was recorded at the Blue Spring rainfall station in eastern Madison County,” the report states.
The average rainfall across the district for the 12-month period ending Dec. 31 was 50.2 inches, compared to the long-term average of 54.6 inches. Making for a cumulative 12-month deficit of -4.44 inches.
The average district rainfall for the three months ending Dec. 31 totaled 6.0 inches, “about 30 percent below the long-term average of 8.6 inches,” according to the report.
Madison County received 3.21 inches, compared with the December average of 3.79 inches, which is 85 percent of normal for the month. Madison County received 48.80 inches during the last 12 months.
Jefferson County, for its part, received 2.67 inches, compared to the December average of 4.25 inches, representing 63 percent of the normal. The county received 48.23 inches of rainfall during the last 12 months or 80 percent of the annual normal.
River levels began the month at or above the normal range of flows (between the 25 and 75 percentile) and decreased to normal flows as the month progressed, with some exceptions.
Most monitored lakes levels declined during the month, although Sneads Smokehouse Lake in Jefferson County increased by 1.4 feet after several months at or near its minimum. Meanwhile, groundwater levels in the upper Floridian aquifer monitor wells continued to decrease across most areas of the district, ending the month at the 57 percentile, “a decrease of two percentile from November.”
The report notes that the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is forecasting “above-normal rainfall conditions for January and now projects them to continue through May for north Florida.”
The SRWMD continues to urge the conservation of water. For more information, visit www.mysuwanneeriver.com.
The SRWMD encompasses all or parts of 15 counties in north-central Florida, including Madison County and the eastern portion of Jefferson County.
The monthly report is a compilation of data collected from radar-derived rainfall estimates, groundwater and surface water levels, river flows and other sources.