A stretch of the Upper Peace River from just south of Lakeland to Fort Meade is expected to run dry within days as drought conditions force water managers to make a stark tradeoff.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is closing the structure that releases water from Lake Hancock into the river — a move that will help to protect the 4,584-acre lake and wetlands around Circle B Bar Reserve.
But the move will effectively cut off the river’s primary source. With little rainfall to replenish it, officials expect the river to run dry and become unnavigable within days, then stay that way until the June rainy season.
Why it’s happening
Water managers are required to maintain minimum lake levels to protect fish, wildlife, and water quality during declared shortages.
In practical terms: the lake keeps its water, and the river loses its flow.
But even with the measure, district officials warn: “Water quality conditions are also expected to worsen in Lake Hancock as the lake level continues to drop from evaporation. Fish kills are also expected in the lake due to low dissolved oxygen.”
What it means locally
For Lakeland-area residents, the decision centers on Lake Hancock and the 1,267-acre Circle B Bar Reserve along its northwest shore.
The preserve is known for its wildlife, especially alligators. Lake Hancock had the state’s 13th-highest number of alligators in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 2024 count.
Maintaining lake levels will help support that ecosystem.
Downstream impacts
South of the lake, however, the outlook is stark.
The Upper Peace River relies heavily on water released from Lake Hancock, particularly during dry periods. With that release halted, the river is expected to stop flowing in stretches between Lakeland and Fort Meade — an area already facing scrutiny over future water demands, including a proposed data center.
“Fish kills are expected,” district officials said in a news release. “Closing off the flow of water to the river will lead to fish being trapped in isolated pools in the river channel with low dissolved oxygen levels.”
First time in almost a decade
Southwest Florida Water Management District officials said dry river conditions were common in the Upper Peace River before 2015, when the water control structure was built.
Since then, the district has been able to store water in the lake and release it to the river during the dry season, except for a short period at the end of the dry season in May 2017.
However, the current drought is the state’s worst in 14 years. Central Florida currently has a rainfall deficit of nearly 13 inches compared to the average 12-month total.
The bottom line
There isn’t enough water to sustain both systems right now.
So water managers are making a choice: protect Lake Hancock — and the habitats around Circle B — even if it means the Peace River, for a time, disappears downstream.
Cindy Glover is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
