‘No way to prevent flooding,’ SWFWMD disputes Lake Thonotosassa residents’ claims

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Historic flooding has been an issue following the storms. Lake Thonotosassa among the places where banks overflowed.

The state agency that protects and preserves water resources says that’s no surprise, in light of the record rainfall we’ve seen.

“There’s no way we could’ve prevented the flooding on lake Thonotosassa,” said Mark Fulkerson, chief professional engineer with the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

However, residents who live along the lake , dispute that. They claim not enough water was drained out ahead of Hurricane Milton.

“A day and a half after the storm all of a sudden this water just ran up on us, so Lake Thonotosassa has never flooded like this before,” said resident Jamie Slatton.

Slatton has lived on Lake Thonotosassa his entire life, so he’s seen the changes, including the now nonexistent shoreline. He blames the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

“To get a storm like Milton to occur in October, when we’re already at the peak level in all of our systems, it was just catastrophic,” said Dr. Fulkerson.

Fulkerson said Milton dropped up to 18-inches in some areas on top of a season of record rainfall.

“There’s no way to prevent flooding like we’re seeing from Milton,” he said.

SWFWMD said the lake was lowered a total of 14 inches ahead of the storm, but a majority of that drained naturally.

“They dropped the water three inches,” said Slatton.

SWFWMD has a flint creek water control structure on Lake Thonotosassa, which helps maintain water levels on the 800-acre lake.

“They’re not flood control structures,” said Fulkerson. “They’re designed to move a little bit of water at times.”

But following historic rainfall,  the structure is underwater, and the water is flowing over the nearby land.

“We want them to be able to flow the way they’re supposed to after a storm,” said Fulkerson.

The district said it completed a debris removal project in Flint Creek in March of 2024. The project was funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services.

Slatton wants the creek to be dredged, but SWFWMD says the DEP would need to issue a permit to dredge the creek, and that likely won’t happen.

“We’re not in a flood zone,” he said. “It’s a shame.”

Lake Thonotosassa empties into the Hillsborough River through Flint Creek. Hillsborough County Public Works said, “the Hillsborough River reached the highest level ever recorded, 3.5 feet higher than the previous record from Hurricane Irma. While the water is flowing through Flint Creek, it is flowing into a river that remains in a major flood stage. It is basically a water traffic jam.”

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