{"id":255040,"date":"2026-05-02T06:11:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T06:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/255040\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T06:11:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T06:11:32","slug":"its-going-to-take-a-hurricane-to-get-this-water-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/255040\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s going to take a hurricane to get this water back\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

LEESBURG, Fla. \u2013 Austin Sawchuk was prepared to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his Haines Creek fishing charter at the beginning of May. <\/p>\n

But the water level in the creek he uses for his Monster Bass Fishing Charter is down about 4 feet in some stretches, and other areas barely have a foot of water to sustain the 18-inch draft of his 24-foot Tritoon Pontoon boat. It now fights to navigate water thick with mud and plants. <\/p>\n

The quiet waterway still shows evidence of its past glory. Water oaks slowly lean into the river without water to keep its soil firm against the bank. Dark waterlines mark a bridge\u2019s supporting beams where the levels used to hold steady. Locals still take their boats out, trying their luck at catching largemouth bass.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/p>\n

With water levels down because of the drought, plants grow more rapidly without disturbance. A boat with a motor tangled with plants rests by a dock in Haines Creek, Florida, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Maria Avlonitis\/Fresh Take Florida)<\/p>\n

Hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant species, has taken over the water, and as temperatures rise each day, it gets harder for the 37-year-old captain to find fish in the creek where he has navigated for over a decade. The announcement of the indefinite closure of the Burrell Lock<\/a>, a lock that separates Haines Creek from Lake Eustis, was the last straw for Sawchuk. <\/p>\n

The surrounding lakes have higher water levels and reliable fishing spots, and without access, there\u2019s no fighting it \u2013 he would have to close his business until the end of summer. <\/p>\n

\u201cI never pray for storms,\u201d Sawchuk said. \u201cBut you know, I do pray for the rain.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The dock where Monster Bass Fishing Charter departs from on Haines Creek, Florida, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Sawchuk used to be able to step off the dock onto his boat \u00d0 now, he has to climb down a three-step ladder to board the boat. (Maria Avlonitis\/Fresh Take Florida)<\/p>\n

Florida is experiencing its most severe drought in over a decade,<\/a> with more than half the state<\/a> in extreme drought conditions. Water districts across the state have declared water shortages and implemented restrictions. The lack of rain and access to water from surrounding lakes makes it a perfect storm of chaos for experienced anglers. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s embarrassing to bring paying customers to a marina that’s nearly dried up, Sawchuk said. He used to be able to step off his dock right onto his boat. Now, he climbs down a three-step ladder to board. Low water levels aren\u2019t an excuse for a poor fishing day \u2013 paying customers still expect to catch bass, see alligators and get the full experience on the creek. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt puts a lot of stress on a captain because you still have to perform like the water is up,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

With an unclear future looming, one thing remains certain \u2013 Sawchuk still needs to pay boat insurance, marina and liability fees. This dry season is the hardest one he\u2019s ever faced, and he\u2019s worried. <\/p>\n

\u201cAm I going to open up again next year?\u201d he wondered, uncertain. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A boat lies dormant where it used to be able to access the water in Cross Creek, Florida, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Maria Avlonitis\/Fresh Take Florida)<\/p>\n

A natural cycle \u2013 in moderation <\/p>\n

The average level of the Floridan aquifer is at the 13th percentile districtwide, according to Troy Roberts, the communications and outreach manager of Suwannee River Water Management District. <\/p>\n

That means only 13% of the time has water been recorded at this level or lower. Several waterways in the district including the Suwannee, Santa Fe and Withlacoochee rivers have reached daily record low levels in comparison to the average levels of past years, he said. <\/p>\n

Still, it was worse 15 years ago, he said. <\/p>\n

During the drought of 2011 and 2012, Florida\u2019s groundwater levels were at the 1st percentile for several months, Roberts said. <\/p>\n

Tim Miller, the St. Johns River Water Management District\u2019s bureau chief of the Division of Water Resource Information, said the water levels are directly impacted by the lack of rainfall. Right now, all they can do is look forward to rainfall this summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t control that,\u201d Miller said. \u201cWe want to plan for that when we get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1. The Central Florida Hurricane Center has predicted<\/a> Florida\u2019s hurricane season will have the activity levels roughly 75% of a typical season with slightly below averages of named storms and hurricanes.<\/p>\n

Some anglers, like Capt. Paul Shenep, the 64-year-old owner of PS Bass Guide Service in Kissimmee, haven\u2019t felt the impacts of the drought. Lake Tohopekaliga, where he usually takes out charters, is supplied by water from Shingle Creek. Shenep estimates the water is about three inches lower than it was last year, but it hasn\u2019t been enough to impact his business. He said he\u2019s not too worried. <\/p>\n

\u201cMother Nature has its way of dealing with it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A view of Cross Creek, which is now inaccessible from Twin Lakes Fish Camp due to the drought, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Maria Avlonitis\/Fresh Take Florida)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unusual for different regions to have drastic differences of impact. Eric Nagid, a research administrator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said Florida\u2019s geological features play a big role. Some lakes retain water well because they have a clay barrier between the Floridan aquifer, he said, while those with a straight connection tend to drain into the aquifer when the groundwater levels are low. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re probably going to be relying on, you know, a tropical storm of some nature to really kind of get us back to where we were,\u201d Nagid said. \u201cWhich, as you know, comes with some destructive features to it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Droughts, though, are part of \u201cthe natural cycle of things,\u201d he said, and they help rejuvenate wetlands and promote shoreline vegetation growth. They become harmful when they go on for too long.<\/p>\n

This drought will likely impact freshwater fish populations, Nagid said. Bodies of water with significant water level shortages decrease the habitat for fish populations, which creates more competition between species for limited resources. It also sets the stage for another pressing issue \u2013 algae blooms. <\/p>\n

Excessive algae depletes oxygen from water, which he said can result in fish kills, where large numbers of fish die unexpectedly, which is a worst-case scenario from the drought. Low water levels also mean plants have more space to grow in the newly dried land, which can be harmful and result in a shrunken pond lost to plant growth by the time water comes back. <\/p>\n

If necessary, the wildlife commission would step in to stock fish in a body of water or perform habitat restoration, Nagid said, which can be costly. If July and August don\u2019t bring more rain, he said, some of these impacts might begin to show. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re definitely at the worry point,\u201d Nagid said. <\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/p>\n

Michelle Septer poses inside the Twin Lakes Fish Camp store, where she displays fish tackle and lures in Cross Creek, Florida, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Maria Avlonitis\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

Drying up history <\/p>\n

In Alachua County, between Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake, lies Cross Creek, the place where Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote her 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning book \u201cThe Yearling.\u201d <\/p>\n

Michelle Septer, the owner of a campground by the creek, has watched as the object of Rawlings\u2019 inspiration dried up. <\/p>\n

Twin Lakes Fish Camp used to be a fishing hot spot, she said. It\u2019s evident in the photos of campers with the bass they caught and news clippings of the camp\u2019s notoriety pinned on the camp store walls. Septer still has a hefty supply of fish tackle, lures and hooks displayed for sale. <\/p>\n

Bird watchers, alligator hunters and anglers from all over the country used to frequent the camp, she said. Now, Septer turns away visitors looking to fish because the camp doesn\u2019t have water access anymore, and \u201cfish are practically flopping in the middle of the lake,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A news clipping Michelle Septer pinned up in Twin Lakes Fish Camp\u00d5s store, which shows high the water levels used to be, photographed in Cross Creek, Fla., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Maria Avlonitis\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

A large pontoon boat now leans against a grassy bank, accessible by a dock that crosses over densely grown plants instead of flowing water. An access to the creek runs dry across from the camp\u2019s wooden cabins, where a handful of boats sit abandoned and dull, unused for over a year and dried out beyond use. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is much worse than they\u2019re talking about,\u201d Septer said. <\/p>\n

The creek has suffered as a result of droughts for years, but Septer said this is the third time in her almost two decades at the camp where it\u2019s dried up completely. Boats can normally navigate the creek<\/a> when it’s at usual water levels. <\/p>\n

While the wildfires caused by the drought are making headlines, Septer wonders why there isn\u2019t more attention toward this historical gem drying up. She can\u2019t help but notice that the water is gone when more than half her business is fishing, and the surrounding lakes are inaccessible from her shore. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to take a hurricane to get this water back,\u201d Septer said. <\/p>\n

___
This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at maria.avlonitis@ufl.edu<\/a>. You can donate to support our students here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LEESBURG, Fla. \u2013 Austin Sawchuk was prepared to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his Haines Creek fishing charter…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-255040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}