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?