District gets above average rainfall in February

Districtwide, rainfall across the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) in January was slightly above the long-term average for the month, with parts of Madison and Jefferson counties getting more than their share. This according to the latest hydrologic conditions report released by the SRWMD. The report shows the district receiving 4.02 inches, 0.36 inches higher than the long-term average of 3.66 inches for January, with western Madison County and smaller portions of Jefferson County getting up to five inches of rain. The Aucilla was also one of three basins in the district that received twice the normal January rainfall. The total rainfall average across the district for the 12-month period ending Jan. 31 was 60.3 inches, about 10 percent higher than the longer-term average of 54.6 inches. Meanwhile, the average district rainfall for the three months ending Jan. 31 was about 1.75 inches above the long-term average,” according to the report. Madison County received 6.38 inches, compared with the January average of 3.93 inches, which is 162 percent of normal for the month. Madison County received 59.50 inches during the last 12 months, or 106 percent of the annual normal. Jefferson County, for its part, received 5.90 inches, compared with the January average of 4.35 inches, which is 136 percent of normal for the month. The county received 60.48 inches of rainfall during the last 12 months, or 100 percent of the annual normal. River levels started the month relatively high and remained so, with the Aucilla hovering just below flood stage. Lake levels across the district also generally rose during the month, with Sneads Smokehouse Lake rising to 80.7 feet, an increase of eight inches, making for the highest increase since the beginning of the month. In terms of groundwater, meanwhile, the levels in monitor wells on average ended the month at the 80th percentile, “an increase of 11 percentile points from the end of December,” according to the report. States the document: “The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (CPC) projected a higher potential above-average precipitation for the remainder of February, but reduced the three-month outlook for the southeastern United States to reflect normal rainfall potential thereafter.” The U.S. Drought Monitor report of Feb. 3 showed normal conditions across the district and in the contributing drainage areas of southeastern Georgia, according to the report. The SRWMD continues to urge the conservation of water. For more Information, visit www.mysuwanneeriv-er.com. The SRWMD encompasses all or parts of 15 counties in north-central Florida, including Madison and the eastern portion of Jefferson. The monthly report is a compilation of data collected from radar-derived rainfall estimates, groundwater and surface water levels, river flows and other sources.