March 27, 2026 –This post has been updated following an interview with Jody Cahoon, who manages Tallahassee’s Stormwater Management. I’ve also updated technical information about the design and engineering of Lake Elberta.
Lake Elberta is experiencing a dry down event following the formation of sinkholes in its basin last week. Lake Elberta is a stormwater treatment pond designed to collect and filter runoff from the area south of Doak Campbell Stadium. That water travels along paved surfaces, and collects contaminants such as pesticides, petroleum, and fertilizer. A sinkhole in this pond could potentially transmit these contaminants directly into the upper Floridan Aquifer.
Florida is in the midst of a prolonged drought. Lake Jackson is currently dried down, as is Lake Miccosukee’s west end (its main sinkhole is dammed, preventing the lake from draining). During a drought, void spaces in the upper aquifer may lose water. The empty space is then more likely to collapse and form a sinkhole.
After the sinkholes appeared to have drained the pond, Apalachee Audubon and the Sierra Club contacted the City of Tallahassee for information. Below is a response from Jodie Cahoon, Stormwater Management Manager for the City of Tallahassee. I’ve added a few notes and photos. I’ve also reached out for additional information, and will update the post once I hear back.
Update – Friday, March 27, 2026 | Jody Cahoon interview
A couple of key points from my interview with Jody Cahoon:
Tallahassee’s drinking water comes from a deeper part of the aquifer
Stormwater runoff did enter the upper aquifer, but this will not immediately impact Tallahassee’s drinking water.
Mr. Cahoon says that Tallahassee’s water wells are typically about 350 feet deep, taking water from a lower part of the aquifer “Our drinking wells in this area are well, well below where this water enters. And most of the time when it enters into these systems, it could take years to get down to that area.”
Water from Lake Elberta is released into the Munson Slough system, which filters water through a series of wet detention ponds. The system is design to have water enter the aquifer at Eight Mile Pond, a water body just south of where Munson Slough leaves the Apalachicola National Forest, and before it enters Ames Sink.
The City will clean up the pond while it is dried down
Says Mr. Cahoon, “We’re going to make some improvements to the facility, take advantage of this drought situation, and make some improvements. That one’s going to improve the long-term functionality of the pond, sediments washing to all ponds. So we’ll remove a lot of the sediments which the pond was intended to capture, and removing that sediment, there’ll be some trash removal in there.”
What was Lake Elberta designed to do?
“This type of treatment plant, we call it a wet detention pond. And what they do is they provide stormwater treatment as well as flood release, by storing and holding water for a period of time in wet detention facilities. There’s a number of processes that go on there: chemical, biological, and physical processes.
“Sediments settle out in the pond. Water is held there. You get your optimum treatment in 2 to 3 days. And so we allow that water to stay for 2 or 3 days before we start pumping it out of the pond, so that the improvements to our surface waters would continue.”
Lake Elberta is one of over 70 stormwater treatment ponds in Tallahassee’s system.
The City of Tallahassee sees no evidence that the sinkhole is currently taking in water
The City has been actively monitoring the situation since the sinkholes were first observed last Wednesday. By Thursday, the pond was beginning to re-fill, due to base flow in the stormwater system, indicating self-sealing. Based on these observations and continued field assessments, there has been no evidence of continued or sustained flow from the pond into the upper aquifer following the initial formation of the sinkholes, which occurred after a significant rain event. While we understand the concern, current data do not indicate an ongoing discharge condition.
Jodie E. Cahoon, P.E.
The sinkholes formed during a rain event. Likely, the heavy rain added weight above a void space and caused a collapse. The City is indicating that the sinkhole is sealing itself, and is no longer taking in water.
This is typical of Tallahassee’s natural lakes
It is also important to recognize that this type of activity is a naturally occurring phenomenon in our region, similar to conditions that periodically occur at Upper Lake Lafayette, Eight Mile Pond, Lake Jackson, Lake Iamonia, and Lake Miccosukee, as well as other sink features throughout the area. That said, because Lake Elberta functions as part of an engineered stormwater system, the City is taking additional precautions beyond what would be typical for a natural system.
Jodie E. Cahoon, P.E.
Lake Elberta is not one of Tallahassee’s natural lakes. Our area’s four largest natural lakes have large sinkholes and have historically experienced periodic dry down events. In the twentieth century, people tried to engineer the lakes to prevent dry downs, with the exception of Lake Jackson.
Mr. Cahoon referenced Upper Lake Lafayette; this is a section of what had once been a larger Lake Lafayette. In the 1950’s, earthen dams were built to isolate the sinkhole in Upper Lake Lafayette from Piney Z. Lake and Lower Lake Lafayette. Because Lower Lake Lafayette no longer experiences dry downs, it has become more swamp-like.
Lake Iamonia was dammed, but its control structure was dismantled, allowing its water levels to fluctuate more naturally. Lake Miccosukee’s main sinkhole is dammed, though two sinkholes have formed on the west side of the lake. These are currently dry.
I’ve written about the geology and ecology of our sinkhole lakes a few times, but the best introduction is from a 2021 post written after Lake Jackson dried down. Since then, Porter Sink hasn’t stayed covered for more than a few months at a time.
The area around Lake Elberta (center). Note the smaller retention ponds around it. The green line to the left (west) of it, starting in the Campbell Stadium parking lot, is a canal which will join with Munson Slough.
Tallahassee’s stormwater treatment system
Lake Elberta represents one component of a broader stormwater treatment train, and other elements within the City’s MS4 system continue to operate as designed, providing ongoing treatment and attenuation.
Jodie E. Cahoon, P.E.
What is an MS4 system? As defined by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, “A municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is a publicly-owned conveyance or system of conveyances (i.e., ditches, curbs, catch basins, underground pipes, etc.) designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater and that discharges to surface waters of the state.”
Lake Elberta is part of a connected system collecting stormwater from the south side of Tallahassee. Water collected and treated at Cascades Park flows underground to a pond at Anita Favors Plaza, on FAMU Way. It joins water flowing into Munson Slough from Florida State University. Munson Slough drains into Ames Sink, which feeds into Wakulla Springs.
Repairing Lake Elberta
In response to the situation, the City has conducted multiple site inspections and has notified the appropriate regulatory agencies. A geotechnical evaluation has previously been completed, and we have established recommendations for remediation. These recommendations will guide the repair strategy and help ensure the long-term functionality of the facility.
In the interim, the City is implementing precautionary measures to further reduce risk. These include isolating the major inflow point to the stormwater facility and taking steps to limit additional stormwater entering the affected areas.
We are committed to addressing this issue in a timely manner that protects groundwater quality and maintains the integrity of the stormwater system. As remediation plans are implemented, we will continue to keep relevant stakeholders and agencies informed.
Jodie E. Cahoon, P.E.
Much of Tallahassee’s stormwater runoff will enter the Floridan Aquifer and emerge from Wakulla Spring. Facilities like Lake Elberta, Lake Henrietta, and Cascades Park were designed to filter water before it enters the aquifer. A sinkhole in one of these places could send unfiltered water directly into the upper aquifer.
A surprising wildlife hotspot
Lake Elberta is one of Tallahassee’s top eBird hotspots, and the dry down has not disrupted that. As we learned while birding Lake Jackson, newly exposed lake (or pond) bottom reveals new food sources for birds. When a water body expands or contracts, it moves the edge of the water and creates a new habitat for birds who feed on that edge.
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