Low Water Levels North of 466
 

Wondering why lakes are full, some overflowing south of 466 especially south of 466A. Some of the lakes north of 466 are very low.

No recent rain plus could be lowering then in anticipation of hurricane season?

This is jus the opposite of the norm................farther South you go, the lower the pond levels.

:shrug:

Could be doing maintenance on some ponds….draining water in those and storing them in another. Hence the wonky water levels.

I thought all the ponds needed to be inspected, so they lower the water levels.

IMO True cause we’re in drought compared to previous years. I been here 10 years and this year one of driest so far. I surprised we not on water rationing now.

Guilty as charged, I guess I better stop watering my lawn so much?

Yes, and they pump the water from that pond into another, that’s why that pond is low, and the other one is high.

Did you call the District Customer Service Center?

352-753-4508

As a general rule, I have found them to be far more knowledgeable than TOTV.

The three or four ponds I pass in the morning and the three others I observed last night, all south of 466A, were all low. About where they ought to be for this time of year.

Which ponds/lakes south of 466, and especially south of 466A, seemed high?

OP your post reminded me of Goldwing nut answering rumors about pond depth.

The woman near SS area.

Our ponds no longer have water….All of our ponds are being drained to fill the ponds in the new areas of 44. Are they using trucks at night to steal our pond water

Best response ever……..No the Water transfer system doesn’t move water south, and rumors of trucks removing water from the north and driving water to the new ponds. Isn’t possible

We still laugh about that every time we see a truck driving from the north. Here comes another truck load of pond water, for our ponds south of 44

They actually did do that south of 44, they were filling up trucks and driving over to a new area that wasn't connected to the pipe line. I called about it as our pond was getting down to silt and they came out and admitted it was being pumped into the trucks and they were not supposed to let the level get that low so they stopped.

Northerner here. First time ever had low pressure when taking a shower.

I can’t speak for all of the retention ponds but the pond that I back up to has the level adjusted regularly by Property Management via the valve on the weir. I have met with a representative and they like to keep the level lower, by about 1-2 feet, than I would prefer. Normally, I would have attributed a somewhat lower level to the upcoming rainy season (June through September) but I have seen them adjust the level down in January. I have found Property Management to be more than willing to discuss, in person, the status of a retention pond if you wish to give them a call.

I certainly hope the water for your shower does not come from one of the drainage ponds.

Low water pressure in the northern section *MIGHT* be due to many people ignoring the recommendations and choosing to water their lawns on the same day at the same time. (might be due to any number of other things as well)

If you’re newer to Florida, you wouldn’t know, but, building codes in FL require that for every X amt of sq ft of buildings there needs to be a retention/drainage pond for water run off for storms. (If you haven’t been here in the summer, the regular afternoon storms are wicked!) Up in Jacksonville we couldn’t blacktop our office parking lot because there wasn’t enough room for a run off area. Not all retention areas are full of H2O. Look at some of the deep gouges in the ground around highways or on the sides or back of strip malls. These are the same as our “ponds”, just not filled with H2O. As far as running out of the liquid stuff…if you dig down you’ll hit it. It’s why there are no basements in most places in FL. They would just be big pools! I believe I read somewhere that no matter how many folks lived here this state wouldn’t run out of H2O for centuries.😎💦

Filled ponds certainly have the appearance of looking a lot nicer to most people.
Must be just a coincidence that's only happening in areas where developer is selling lots of houses.

Is it happening at all, has anyone pointed to a retention pond that is not low? All of the ponds I have passed recently (south of 466A) have been low. (one possible exception is the pond northeast of Brownwood - I just can't remember what it looked like the other day)

Sometimes the fish get thirsty , during the hot weather....

You're new here, right? The "lakes" are for water retention as well as control during rainier times and not for the pleasure of any residents. Nice to look at however.

They certainly are for the pleasure of residents, that's why they build homes around them and charge a premium for those lots. Their main function is flood control and irrigation but they also beautify the landscape, bring nature to our back yards and are very relaxing to live around. Sometimes they're low and sometimes they're high just as natural lakes, ponds, streams, and swamps are, all depends on the amount of rain we have.

I see an opportunity to get a big pool in my home! ;)

We are on water rationing. In Sumter County, you are allowed to water your lawn twice a week. Depending on what district you are in and what your lot # is determines when you are allowed to water. For Districts 5-13, the info is at https://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.c...180fdab73c.pdf

Not much construction between Brownwood and 466a.
So head south. Toward the new high school. Eastport area. Middleport.
You will find ponds filled to the top.

Thanks, I'll take a look this weekend. Last weekend when I was down there it looked like the ponds themselves were still under construction so I wonder if they were filled as a way to test them. The ponds I saw were basically in the middle of a cleared field with no homes visible so perhaps the full ponds are in a different area; I need an excuse for a longer ride.

Still, if that is what the OP was referring to then, "some overflowing south of 466 especially south of 466A," was a poor description when those ponds are actually far south of the Turnpike in the areas still under construction.

Low pond levels CDD 4, north of 466.
 

These ponds near the four Golf Courses in Marion County were previously balanced by transferring water from one pond to another.
The water containing the fertilizer and weed chemicals was pumped or gravity fed through corrugated large diameter metal pipes. Drainage pipes not designed for pressurized usage. These pipes were installed under the streets of most neighborhoods by the Developer. These pipes failed as the result of their 20 years of misuse. The end result showed two homes being condemmed and well over a million and 1/2 dollars for replacement and relining absorbed by CDD4. These ponds are now renewed by mother nature and she has not for the last few weeks.

Seems Ok today. Probably was from everyone watering their lawns at that time, which is routine and doesn't usually affect me. I don't usually shower that early too.

Amazing how quickly they can fill the large lakes around Eastport/Middleton.

Google Maps show huge areas of surface water south off 470 so maybe they are pumping that out to prepare the land for construction?

They are sourced from different aquifers, North of 466.

Villages water saving efforts garner praise | News | The Villages Daily Sun | thevillagesdailysun.com.

Welcome to EPA federal govt mandated low-flow shower heads. Aren’t they awful?

Watched a YouTube video about the underground caverns & deep springs in central Florida. Running out of water will never be an issue. Building another Ark might be.

Once we were in a deluge summer afternoon downpour at the mall in Gainsville. In just a few minutes, the entire parking lot was flooded above the curbs & it looked like a large lake! Then the rain stopped & within a few minutes there were only a few puddles left & blue skies
& sun returned. Amazing.

When the summer rainy season & hurricane season come starting in June you’ll be glad they started out low. Hurricane season is predicted to bring above-average named storms (est. 21 or so) not all will bring a lot of rain to TV but any that do could bring huge amounts

Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

Awful until a simple adjustment was made.

May I ask where you found that information?

Not debating it, but a source would be nice...

Those of us who have read this Forum for many years have heard so many things repeated many times.

Usually the overwhelming majority of readers are pretty satisfied with their life here and how things are managed and then there are a few ANONYMOUS readers who seem to have some issue with the place and how it's managed. I almost always wonder who these folks really are. Do they really live here, or do they live outside and are not yet old enough to retire, or cannot manage the cost to live here, or are they folks who would like to develop an area close by and be sort of competition to the Morses? Are they people who have never ever been here and have sort of a general negative feeling about all large successful businesses and enjoy using the word "greed" to describe those people who own them.

Then a few folks really do believe that the development of land has caused the sinkholes within, that the construction of buildings and structures is second class and shoddy and that the trash disappears magically from the streets and roadways and the buildings and fences paint themselves, and those same people may have never looked at the chairs and tables for example in the rec centers, let alone the CHANDELIERS, different in each one and usually quite superior and beautifully chosen.......and you get where I'm going.

As you can see I am a huge fan of the Morses and hope someday to shake one of their hands in person....but they'd better find me soon because I'll soon be 85. ;)

If only they allowed desert lawns.

So, it's nothing but rumor and conjecture... Color me not surprised...

Happy Birthday!