Hydrology of Lake Panasoffkee, Sumter County, Florida

Lake Panasoffkee, in midwest Sumter County of central Florida, receives water from three creeks and discharges water through Outlet River at an average daily rate of 207 cubic feet per second. The eastern shore of the lake is marsh and wooded swamp with inflow to the lake coming from the northeast and southeast. About 15 percent of the basin contributes surface water to the lake and about 50 percent of the 420-square-mile topographic drainage basin contributes ground water to the lake. The water from the remainder of the basin either evaporates from low areas or directly recharges the Floridan aquifer for discharge outside the basin. The maximum stage on record is 44.28 feet above mean sea level and the minimum stage on record is 37.65 feet above. The lake level is partly affected by the Wysong Dam and has stabilized in recent years at about 40.95 feet above mean sea level. The quality of the water is generally good. The lake supports a favorably balanced fish population even though minor fish kills were reported in 1973 and 1974. These kills were probably the result of algal blooms.