SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Not only are we in hurricane season, but we are also in the rainy season.
Usually, that means people report rising waters. But one Seminole County neighborhood is experiencing a different and unexplained problem.
What You Need To Know
- Parts of Little Wekiva River are dry
- Several agencies are looking into the cause
- Residents along the river want the water to return
From the dock in her backyard that is on the Little Wekiva River, Jeanette Schreiber can only wonder.
“This was a beautiful thriving river,” said Schreiber, who has lived on the Little Wekiva River for 11 years.
You wouldn’t guess it, but what now looks like a walkway is where Jeanette Schreiber would take her kayaks and canoes for a paddle.
“Often would go from here to Katy’s Landing which is about 9 miles," Schreiber said. "The depth of the water and again was over my head, but it was always 3-5 feet.
In the last year and a half, the water has flowed elsewhere – and is now approaching other homes.
Seminole County Commissioner Lee Constantine said county staff briefed him on the issue just last week. He said he often gets calls about rising water issues but here it’s a different story.
“We are seeing areas that are bone dry,” Constantine said.
Seminole County Staff and The Florida Department of Environmental Protection have looked into the issue and, according to the St. John’s Water Management District, they are all working to identify the sources of sand and sedimentation. Constantine has asked the Florida Department of Transportation to join the conversation.
“Clearly this is not something just the county can solve," Constantine said. "I mean there has been storm water from Orange County coming in.”
Residents along the Little Wekiva not only want their water back where it’s supposed to be, but to have their paddles back in it as well.
“The sand has completely filled the river channel, it is forcing the water up and in to our yard," Schreiber explains.
As several agencies are now looking in to what can be the main cause for this to happen, Lee Constantine said the cost to fixing the current problem on this portion of the river would be, "Astronomical."