TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)--Some swollen rivers in our area are expected rise to their highest levels this week.
The Withlacoochee River near Pinetta is cresting.
Flooding is in the forecast for the Suwannee River at Ellaville and near the lower Santa Fe.
This is information from the Suwannee River District:
March 3: The Withlacoochee near Pinetta is cresting near 5 feet above flood stage, about 5 feet lower than the record-setting flood of 2009. The Alapaha River at Statenville is expected to crest at over 4 feet above flood stage by Tuesday. Minor flooding is forecast for the Suwannee River at Ellaville with a crest near 59 later this week. Dowling Park could crest at least a foot above flood stage by next weekend. The rising Suwannee will cause a backwater flood on the lower Santa Fe. The Santa Fe at Three Rivers Estates should rise above flood stage by Tuesday. People with interests on the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Suwannee, and lower Santa Fe rivers should monitor forecasts closely. People near Nobles Ferry on the Suwannee River should monitor the Ellaville forecast. While flooding is not expected at Suwannee Springs, the river will crest there around March 5.
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) issued a warning on Saturday of possible wastewater contamination in the Withlacoochee River after the failure of a wastewater treatment plant in Valdosta. The Florida DEP is scheduled to collect water samples and the results will be available next week. Until further information is known about the possible contamination, citizens are urged to avoid contact with the Withlacoochee and the Suwannee River below the Withlacoochee confluence. If you have been in contact with the river water, DOH urges you to wash your hands before eating and drinking. Children, the elderly, and people with depressed immune systems should take precautions to avoid the river water.
