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Rainfall

Despite wet conditions, May rainfall slightly below average

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Below-average rainfall in May leads to parts of the St. Johns River Water Management District’s southern region (Brevard, Indian River, Osceola, and Okeechobee) being abnormally dry, as reported in the U.S. Drought Monitor. While some areas of the central region reported more than 7 inches of rain last month, Brevard County averaged only 1.5 inches.

A full report outlining May’s hydrologic conditions was presented at the District’s Governing Board meeting Tuesday. Highlights include:

Rainfall

  • Districtwide, May rainfall averaged 3.39 inches, which is 0.07 inches below the average for the month.
  • Lake County had the most rainfall, with a countywide average of 5.1 inches.
  • Brevard County, which is still abnormally dry, received only 1.5 inches.
  • Districtwide, the cumulative rainfall total for the past 12 months is 54.43 inches, which is 3.42 inches above the long-term average.

Groundwater 

  • Upper Floridan aquifer conditions (groundwater levels) at the end of May were mostly in the normal range across the District.
  • Groundwater levels are at the 77th percentile Districtwide. This means that since 1980, aquifer levels have been higher than they currently are about 23 percent of the time. 

Spring Flows

  • The mean monthly flow at Silver Springs decreased to 662 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 428 mgd, which is a 22 cfs decrease from April’s mean, but still in the normal range for this time of year.
  • At the Blue Spring station in Volusia County, the mean monthly flow was 159 cfs, or 103 mgd.
  • At Rock Springs, the monthly mean flow decreased 2 cfs to 58 cfs (38 mgd), which is in the normal range for May.
  • Mean monthly flow at Wekiwa Springs increased to 66 cfs (43 mgd), which is in the normal range for the time of year. 

To learn more about rainfall totals and other hydrologic data collected, visit  sjrwmd.com.

Visit WaterLessFlorida.com for tips to help landscapes thrive while saving water and money. Follow the water conservation conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation #savewater.

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the State of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Jacksonville and Palm Bay. 

Rainfall, Groundwater, Spring Flows, St. John's River Water Management District, WaterLessFlorida.com, How much rainfall did Orange County get in May?

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