Lawrence “Mitch” Davidson says it’s been three years since he’s seen the dam near his house reach such low water levels as he has during this drought.
That was only for a week. This has been for months.
Just a day after the National Weather Service of Tallahassee shared the news of the region being locked in a rare “exceptional drought,” many are sharing their stories of what this looks like for them.
Davidson contacted the Tallahassee Democrat to share what he’s seen near his home.
“I live below the dam on the Ochlockonee River. It is barely a river now, just a trickle,” he said. “From my backyard I can go down the river bank and wade all the way across to the Liberty County side and just barely get my knees under water.”
Davidson lives in the Bloxham community, an unincorporated area of Leon County that neighbors the Fort Braden community and Blountstown.
“The slope is so gentle that a six inch drop in the river level takes about five feet away from the shore, so that there’s a little island that’s out in between my side and the Liberty county side.”
Davidson’s neighbors have been witnessing the same thing but thankfully that is the extent so far.
“The people I see at the church that I go to, we just talk about how the river is low … nobody’s told me that their well has gone dry.”
Are you seeing drought impacts near you? Send us your photos and videos at news@tallahassee.com and say what you’ve noticed.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Exceptional drought leaves stretch of Ochlockonee River barely alive
Reporting by Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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