News Flash

LIVE OAK, FLA., NOVEMBER 14, 2024 – To help enhance public awareness of water levels and the impact rainfall has on current conditions in North Florida, the Suwannee River Water Management District (District) has released its Hydrologic Conditions Report for the month of October.  

This monthly report highlights rainfall, surface water and groundwater levels, a climate and drought outlook, as well as other scientific data that can be utilized to help educate the public about the impact rainfall has on North Florida.  

Notable highlights from the month of October include:  

• The District received an average rainfall of 1.72 inches, which is 40 percent lower than the 1932-2023 average of 2.85 inches. The 12-month period ending on October 31 reflected a surplus of 7.01 inches, which was a slight decrease from the 8.13 inches of surplus seen at the end of September.
• Most counties in the District received between less than an inch to 3.5 inches of rain during the month, though parts of Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, and Levy received more than 4 inches of rainfall.
• River stations finished the month in either the normal (25^th to 75^th percentile) or above normal (75^th 50 100^th percentile) flow ranges for the month. The Alapaha River near Statenville experienced 10 consecutive days of daily record high flows in early October due to localized rainfall from Hurricane Helene last month.
• Upper Floridan Aquifer levels across the District reflected mostly high (75^th to 90^th percentile) or extremely high (above 90^th percentile) levels for the month and ended October with an average around the 82^nd percentile. 
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) three-month seasonal outlook suggests above normal temperatures along with below normal precipitation throughout the District from November through January. 
• The U.S. Drought Monitor report released on November 7 shows Abnormally Dry conditions for all of parts of Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor counties.       

The full report can be found on the District’s website under the Science & Data tab. It is typically updated the second week of each month, and reports from the previous five years are available for viewing.  

The mission of the Suwannee River Water Management District is to protect and manage water resources using science-based solutions to support natural systems and the needs of the public. Headquartered in Live Oak, Florida, the District serves 15 surrounding north-central Florida counties. 

For more information about the District, visit www.MySuwanneeRiver.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

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