Lazaro Aleman: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Rainfall across the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) was below average in February, according to the district’s latest hydrologic conditions report. The report shows the average rainfall across the district was 1.11 inches, which is about 30 percent of the long-term average of 3.89 inches in February.
The highest gauged monthly rainfall was 1.73 inches, recorded at the Goose Pasture station in southern Jefferson County. The lowest gauged monthly total was 0.71 percent, recorded at the Blue Springs State Park gauge in eastern Madison County.
The total rainfall average across the district for the 12-month period ending on Feb. 28 was 42.8 inches, compared with the long-term average of 54.5 inches, resulting in a cumulative 12-month district-wide rainfall deficit of 12.1 inches, according to the SRWMD. And the average district rainfall for the three months ending Feb. 28 totaled 8.7 inches, about 80 percent of the long-term average of 10.7 inches, per the SRWMD reports.
Madison County received 0.95 inches in February, compared to the February average of 4.36 inches, which is 22 percent of normal for the month. Madison County received 47.13 inches during the last 12 months, or 84 percent of the annual normal.
Jefferson County, for its part, received 1.14 inches in February, compared to the February average of 4.65 inches, which is 25 percent of normal for the month. The county received 49.89 inches of rainfall during the last 12 months, or 82 percent of the normal annual amount.
River flows generally declined across the district in February, attributed to the below-average rainfall for the month and the recession of the high waters from earlier months. The Aucilla River basin was the exception. It maintained about a three-inch surplus, according to the report.
Lakes monitored by the district all declined during the month by an average of three inches, and Florida aquifer water levels decreased slightly to the 41st percentile, according to the report.
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center is projecting normal rainfall for north Florida for the remainder of the spring.
Given the existing rainfall deficit, the SRWMD continues to urge water users to eliminate all unnecessary uses and always practice conservation. For more information, visit www.mysuwanneeriver.com.
The SRWMD encompasses all or parts of 15 counties in north-central Florida, including Madison and Jefferson on its most northwestern portion.
The monthly report is a compilation of data collected from radar-derived rainfall estimates, groundwater and surface water levels, river flows and other sources.