District closes spillways to ease flooding concerns from weekend downpours

PALM BAY, Fla., Oct. 2, 2017 — The St. Johns River Water Management District closed two water control structures in its Upper St. Johns River Basin project on Sunday to lessen the potential for flooding in residential neighborhoods along Lake Washington, in Brevard County.

The district closed the S-161 and S-161A spillways to hold water in the Jane Green Detention Area, thereby reducing flows into Lake Washington and helping residents with localized flooding concerns.

Levels in the Jane Green Detention Area have declined approximately 7 feet since its peak level after Hurricane Irma and has capacity for additional water storage. By closing all gates at the flood control structures, the district has stopped the approximately 350,000-gallons-per-minute flow to the lake, or around 20 percent of the St. Johns River flow into Lake Washington.

Over the weekend, the area east of Lake Washington received more than 4.5 inches of rain, while areas west of Lake Washington received less than an inch of rain.