October’s rainfall spectrum: contrasts and highlights across the District

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Map and table showing rainfall in October 2023

PALATKA, Fla., Nov. 15, 2023 — In October, the St. Johns River Water Management District witnessed a diverse range of rainfall patterns. Northern counties and an area through the central region received below-average rainfall, while St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties, as well as the southern part of the District, experienced above-average rainfall.

Map and table showing rainfall in October 2023A full report outlining October’s hydrologic conditions was presented at the District’s Governing Board meeting Nov. 14. Highlights include:

Rainfall

  • Districtwide, October rainfall averaged 3.53 inches, which is slightly below the monthly average by 0.49.
  • Over the past 12 months, rainfall was below average in most of the District, except for counties along the central coast and southern end, which was above average.
  • Districtwide, the cumulative rainfall total for the past 12 months is 49.52 inches, which is 1.49 inches below the long-term average.
  • County-wide totals ranged from 44.3 inches in Lake County to 55.7 inches in Indian River County.

Groundwater 

  • Upper Floridan aquifer conditions were a mix of mostly high or normal range at the end of October, except for some areas in Duval County, where conditions were in the low range.
  • Districtwide groundwater levels, expressed as a single index, fall within the 54th percentile, considered normal for this time of year.

Spring flows

  • Silver Springs recorded a mean monthly flow of 624 cubic feet per second (cfs), or 403 million gallons per day (mgd), within the normal range for this period.
  • Blue Spring station in Volusia County reported a mean monthly flow of 160 cfs, or 104 mgd, which is in the high range.
  • Rock Springs experienced a slight decrease in mean monthly flow, falling within the normal range at 59 cfs (38 mgd).
  • Wekiwa Springs maintained a mean monthly flow of 64 cfs (42 mgd), consistent with the normal range for this time of year.

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

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