How to Monitor Daily Water Levels in St. Johns River, Florida

Many boaters check St. Johns water levels before heading out to the Atlantic.

Though most boat ramps and marinas are dredged sufficiently to launch your boat and get moving at all water levels, not all areas of the St. Johns River Basin of Northeast Florida are accessible when levels dip. At 310 miles long, the St. Johns is the longest river in Florida and is one of the few rivers that flows north in a slow-moving current. You may need to monitor water levels on a daily basis, in a variety of locations, to quickly plot out your next excursion. If you don't look a little bit ahead, you might end up running aground.

Instructions

1. Check the weather forecast for the day, before checking the water levels in your area of the St. Johns basin. Though it may not have rained yet, a heavy storm later in the day could dramatically increase the daily water level you'll be checking.

2. Navigate to the Hydrologic Data map maintained by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

3. Click on "Water Level" on the left pane. (You can also choose "Rain" to check daily levels of rainfall.)

4. Select "Current" then pick which water levels you want to monitor in the St. Johns basin: "Lakes", "Surface water", "Spring" or "Marsh."

5. Choose from the map of the St. Johns River the location or locations for which you want to see daily water level data. Select "View Plot" from the resulting pop-up window to see the daily water levels for that location, typically available in one-hour intervals.

References

• St. John's River Water Management District: Hydrologic Data Map

Resources

• SJRWMD: All Online Tools, GIS Data
• Jacksonville.com: Protecting the St. Johns from Dredging