Peacock Water Levels

[SkimFisher]

I keep reading and/or hearing how no one has "ever seen the water levels at Peacock so low before", but for the last 1.5 years I've been going there I've never seen it higher than it is now. (Well, that's slightly untrue; I've seen it about a foot higher.)

I'm on my third read of "Taming of the Slough" (I always pickup something new each time I read it), and for the first time I was struck by one of the pictures of P1. In the picture (which is undated, though it's safe to assume it was taken prior to 2004), the water level is about where it is now - maybe a foot higher.

So, to that end it begs the question: Aside from the river flooding, do the water levels at Peacock ever come up?

[FW]

I keep reading and/or hearing how no one has "ever seen the water levels at Peacock so low before", but for the last 1.5 years I've been going there I've never seen it higher than it is now. (Well, that's slightly untrue; I've seen it about a foot higher.)

I'm on my third read of "Taming of the Slough" (I always pickup something new each time I read it), and for the first time I was struck by one of the pictures of P1. In the picture (which is undated, though it's safe to assume it was taken prior to 2004), the water level is about where it is now - maybe a foot higher.

So, to that end it begs the question: Aside from the river flooding, do the water levels at Peacock ever come up?

When the steps were built, the bottom couple were actually in the water. The level of Peacock is influenced by the level of the Suwanee, and the river is pretty low right now.

[gschaut]

This image is from the Florida Parks Dept website.

[MORGAN]

5 or 6 years ago it was high enough that the bottom of the handrails on the P1 steps were in the water. Tracy and I and Jeano did a dive in P3 and then swam up to P1 without breaking the surface. Vis was its usual in P1, and better than usual in P3. I would have to check my logbook, but I'd guess it was February or March of 2006.

[Kelly Jessop]

The water level used to come up to the 4th step,and it was crystal clear to the bottom. There was a slight ripple that could be seen due to the current,and it was noticable because when talking to someone while in the water you'd be pushed against the rocks. This prolonged drought has exhausted the aquifer,and inorder to return to the glory days we will have to have above average rainfalls for several years,and a few less straws in the ground drawing off large quantities of water. My best memory of Peacock was after the flood of 1998-well charged aquifer,and spectacular conditions.

[BabyDuck]

when i started cave diving in '06, you could sit on a step (maybe third from the bottom?) and just float off. no need for giant strides. oh, and the last couple of steps at orange grove were in the water, too. sigh.

[Greenwood_60]

Not sure of the date on this pic, site says it was late updated in '05. Note the small stairs down to the exposed rock.

edit: This is Orange Grove, BTW. Figured I would add that since there is no duck weed.

[JamesK]

This is a pic I took in I believe in Jan 03.

[huxley]

??? Not saying you are wrong but I've seen it dropping constantly over a long period.
Last year 2010 you could easily swim from P-1 to P-2 & 3 all summer long, I was down there every month and we did a evening swim after the diving shortly before the park closes, we used to snorkel up and down the run, 2 weeks ago when I was down there you could have walked it. I did some classes december 2010, which is exactly 1 year ago and I remember that the water level dropped down quite a bit from the summer since you were not able to swim from P1-P3 but there was still water there. from spring 2011 to December 2011 levels constantly dropped every time I've been down there.
2011 most springs did not flood, madison blue did in april for a week or so if I remember right, so water was up high but not high enough to flood the Peacock.
2010 they did if i remember right.
Most of the water comes from Georgia / Alabama and it has been pretty dry this year. We are back to a drought that we just recovered from. last one was 2008/2009 which was pretty bad up here and even then I did not see the water levels at Peacock as low as they are now but I was not down there that often.

Maybe they were down lower someday, but looking at the pictures at the luraville countrystore they have been up way way higher as well.

[billyf]

currently all three rivers are breaking record lows