Public input part of lake level decision-making

Nearly 500 people joined us Jan. 5 for a public meeting in Howey-in-the-Hills to discuss water levels in the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County.

The meeting provided an opportunity for numerous community and special interest groups and elected officials to speak publicly and share concerns about declining water levels. They were also able to hear the St. Johns River Water Management District’s presentation about what has been done in recent years to adjust water levels and to enhance water quality, and there was discussion about why the lakes are now so low.

With the ongoing drought conditions this winter, there isn’t much water to move northward through the lakes. And when we do move water to increase one lake level, another must fall. However, the District is considering options that could have at least some positive impact on the northern lakes until the rains fall, which hopefully will be by spring.

There are three dam-like structures in the Harris Chain of Lakes that the District controls. Discharges of water northward through the structures are typically determined based on preventing flooding, especially in the summer rainy periods (not an issue this past year, but could be in the next year).

This winter, like last winter, lower-than-average rainfall during the last two years has resulted in extremely low water levels that make access for boating and fishing difficult in some areas. The low water levels have also raised concerns about the potential for degrading water quality in Lake Apopka, the large upstream lake that contributes flow into the Harris Chain of Lakes.

The District Governing Board during its Jan. 10 public meeting in Palatka will consider options to adjust the quantity of water flowing through the three structures. The decision on how to proceed for the remainder of the winter will be based on maintaining healthy lakes, ensuring that we’re prepared for the potential of future flood waters, and the input received Jan. 5 from the public, including businesses that depend on the lakes, homeowners and recreational users.

While there isn’t much water to manipulate, the options being considered could positively impact some northern lakes by at least a few inches and with a corresponding decrease in the southern lakes. But, perhaps most importantly, the options could stave off further declining water levels. This is all combined with the hope that the area gets some significant rainfall by early summer.