Drought in Suwannee River Basin? 2025-11-17

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Why hasn’t SRWMD declared a drought yet?

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the entire Suwannee River Basin in both Georgia and Florida is in drought.

If I’m not mistaken, a drought declartion by the Suwannee River Water Management District would mean numerous water withdrawal permit holders would have to reduce their withdrawals.

With the Floridan Aquifer and intermediate aquifers already low, reducing withdrawals would be prudent before some wells run dry and sinkholes appear.

SRWMD posted their monthly press release about the Hydrologic Conditions Report on November 17, 2025.

[Drought in Suwannee River Basin? Low Rain, Rivers, and Wells 2025-11-17, Aquifer starting to be low, What is the threshold?]
Drought in Suwannee River Basin? Low Rain, Rivers, and Wells 2025-11-17, Aquifer starting to be low, What is the threshold?

In the linked October 2025 Hydrologic Conditions Report, page 2:

CLIMATE AND DROUGHT OUTLOOK

La Niña conditions are present and favored to persist from December 2025 to February 2026, with a 55% chance of ENSO-neutral transition between January and March 2026.

The NOAA three-month seasonal outlook suggests above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation within the District from November 2025 to January 2026.

The U.S. Drought Monitor report released on Thursday, November 6th, shows Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions in the southern Levy County, Moderate Drought (D1) and Severe Drought (D2) indices across most central District counties, and Extreme Drought (D3) in all of Hamilton and parts of Suwannee, Columbia, Madison, and Jefferson counties.

That DM report was two weeks ago. And the Drought Monitor report released today, November 20, 2025, with data valid through November 18, 2025, shows Extreme Drought through all the Suwannee River Basin counties along the GA-FL line, adding parts of Baker, Alachua, and Lafayette to the above list, and Severe or Moderate Drought for the rest. Even Levy County no longer has any D0 conditions: it is completely D1 for Moderate Drought.

[Map: U.S. Southeast Drought Monitor 2025-11-20 Data valid: November 18, 2025 at 7 a.m. EST]
Map: U.S. Southeast Drought Monitor 2025-11-20 Data valid: November 18, 2025 at 7 a.m. EST

All the rivers and many of the springs are low, some very low, according to SRWMD’s own report; see attached images or follow the above links. They include graphs for Madison Blue Spring and Fanning Spring. And that was data for October. It’s gotten dryer since then.

See SRWMD’s own Current River and Lake Levels.

Or see these examples:

So, what’s the holdup, SRWMD?

When will you declare a drought?

[2025-11-17--hc-report-p1-srwmd]
2025-11-17–hc-report-p1-srwmd

[2025-11-17--hc-report-p2-srwmd]
2025-11-17–hc-report-p2-srwmd

[2025-11-17--map-hydrologic-conditions-october-2025-srwmd]
2025-11-17–map-hydrologic-conditions-october-2025-srwmd

[2025-11-20--map-us-drought-monitor]
2025-11-20–map-us-drought-monitor

HR-2025-10-31

[Page 01: Districtwide average rainfall for the month was 1.53”, which was about 46 percent lower than the 1932-2024 average of 2.85” (Table 1, Figure 1).]
Page 01: Districtwide average rainfall for the month was 1.53”, which was about 46 percent lower than the 1932-2024 average of 2.85” (Table 1, Figure 1).
PDF

[Page 02: Upper Floridan Aquifer (UFA) levels across the District ranged from extremely low (<10th percentile) to normal levels this month (Figure 10).]
Page 02: Upper Floridan Aquifer (UFA) levels across the District ranged from extremely low (<10th percentile) to normal levels this month (Figure 10).
PDF

[Table 1: Nexrad Monthly Rainfall Totals by County (inches)]
Table 1: Nexrad Monthly Rainfall Totals by County (inches)
PDF

[Map: Figure 2: October 2025 SRWMD Gage-adjusted Radar Rainfall]
Map: Figure 2: October 2025 SRWMD Gage-adjusted Radar Rainfall
PDF

[Map: Figure 3: 12 - Month Rainfall Surplus/Deficit by River Basin through October 31, 2025]
Map: Figure 3: 12 – Month Rainfall Surplus/Deficit by River Basin through October 31, 2025
PDF

[Figure 5: Daily River Flow Statistics: Suwannee River]
Figure 5: Daily River Flow Statistics: Suwannee River
PDF

[Figure 5: cont.: Daily River Flow Statistics: Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, Steinhatchee Rivers]
Figure 5: cont.: Daily River Flow Statistics: Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, Steinhatchee Rivers
PDF

[Map: Figure 6: Streamflow Conditions October 2025]
Map: Figure 6: Streamflow Conditions October 2025
PDF

[Figure 7: October 2025 Lake Levels]
Figure 7: October 2025 Lake Levels
PDF

[Figure 8: Flow Over the Past 12 Months, Madison Blue Springs (cubic feet per second)]
Figure 8: Flow Over the Past 12 Months, Madison Blue Springs (cubic feet per second)
PDF

[Figure 9: Flow Over the Past 12 Months, Fanning Springs (cubic feet per second)]
Figure 9: Flow Over the Past 12 Months, Fanning Springs (cubic feet per second)
PDF

[Map: Figure 10: End of October 2025 Upper Floridan Aquifer Conditions]
Map: Figure 10: End of October 2025 Upper Floridan Aquifer Conditions
PDF

[Figure 11: Monthly Groundwater Statistics, 2024-11 thru 2025-10]
Figure 11: Monthly Groundwater Statistics, 2024-11 thru 2025-10
PDF

[Figure 11, cont.: Monthly Groundwater Statistics]
Figure 11, cont.: Monthly Groundwater Statistics
PDF

[Map: Figure 12a: Upper Floridan Aquifer Long Term Monitor Wells end of October 2025]
Map: Figure 12a: Upper Floridan Aquifer Long Term Monitor Wells end of October 2025
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[Figure 12b: Regional Long Term Upper Floridan Aquifer Levels; Data through October 2025]
Figure 12b: Regional Long Term Upper Floridan Aquifer Levels; Data through October 2025
PDF

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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