SJRWMD: Nassau sees lowest amount of rain in District

While the rest of the St. Johns River Water Management District rain levels were above average last month, district staff have reported Nassau County as having the lowest amount of rainfall in the past 12 months.

In June, Nassau County saw the lowest amount of rainfall in the 18-county district, with just 5.62 inches of rain (as compared to Alachua’s 12.75 inches, the highest in the district). Nassau also has the lowest monthly average out of all the counties in the district, with reports coming in of 5.9 inches of rainfall. In the past 12 months, Nassau County has reportedly seen 43.78 total inches of rain, also the lowest in the district.

The district as a whole reportedly received an average of 8.2 inches of rain, which is 1.46 inches above the average. The district as a whole also received a reported average of 54.65 inches of rain over the past 12 months, 3.64 inches above the long-term average.

Earlier this year, unusually low levels of rainfall led to widespread drought conditions across the region. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (a service provided through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), those drought conditions have since disappeared. Just three months ago, the entirety of Nassau County was reported as experiencing abnormally dry conditions, with pieces being in a moderate drought.

Even when not experiencing drought conditions, the St. Johns River Water Management District urges its residents to conserve water. Examples of conserving water include finding and fixing leaks in private homes, installing low-flow toilets and showerheads, watering outdoor plants and lawns wisely and waiting until the dishwasher is full to run it.

hdorman@fbnewsleader.com