Just one day after Thanksgiving, some folks decided to brave the cold and head out to witness the latest Lake Jackson drain out.
Lake Jackson in northern Leon County has drained down, or dried up, a dozen times or so since 1837, according to historical recordkeeping, but this time it comes amid an ongoing drought in the state capital – though it is unknown if the two are connected.
Furthermore, the lake has been a recent topic of conversation for the Leon County Commission as they reversed themselves on a controversial Comprehensive Plan change which would have allowed for more development in the area.
On Nov. 28, there was a rather small group out at the lake, including one man in long rubber boots, a hat adorned with a feather and a camera with a powerful lens meant for bird photography. He said if you were at the lake and got real quiet, in the distance you could hear a roaring sound, which was the water leaving.
“Faulk Drive is a very good place for bird photography, but times like this makes the birds concentrate in these low water areas and if you sit down here in the water for 10 or 15 minutes, you’ll see (them) catching fish right and left,” said Albert, who didn’t want to give his last name.
Others checking out the scenery said this was their first time seeing a Lake Jackson drain down. The last was in 2021.
“It was just an opportunity to see it after the sinkhole opened up,” said Mike Hamilton, who is from Tallahassee originally but now lives in St. Augustine and was in town visiting family for the holiday.
There were also new Tallahassee citizens Chris Emmons and Kristin Pridemore, who recently moved here from Sarasota. They have kayaked on the lake and heard a handful of stories but got the chance to see for themselves.
“We don’t know much about Lake Jackson, (but) we know that it used to be a really good bass fishing lake,” Pridemore said.
Porter Sink at Lake Jackson in Tallahassee on Wednesday, Nov. 2025.”/>The history of Lake Jackson’s draining
Before the previous dry down in 2021, the last one was in 1999, which resulted in a massive muck removal, in which dump trucks hauled away 100,000 loads full of sediment.
It’s a rain-fed lake, its beds dotted with sinkholes that drain into the aquifer. Porter Sink, the sinkhole responsible for the dramatic dry downs, serves as a sort of bathtub plug. Until the sink plugs itself back up there is no lake, and with the ongoing drought, there’s no telling when enough rain will fall to refill what is now a prairie.
Under normal conditions, when Lake Jackson is full of about 12 billion gallons of water, it would take about four years for it to drain down. Here’s what happens: High water pressure, according to geologists, give buoyancy to debris that plugs the sinkhole.
When the water level drops, the plugs fall out and the lake disappears into the aquifer. This has raised the question about how changing weather patterns affect Lake Jackson and its habit of periodically disappearing.
Also, Lake Jackson is a state aquatic preserve, specifically designated by the Florida Legislature as a protected bird rookery and fish nursery and for preservation as a natural and cultural heritage site.
Background for this story was contributed by Tallahassee Democrat reporter James Call. Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
