(See also the Leon County web site on Lake Jackson Restoration).

Too bad the illusionist wasn't in Leon County last September 16, where he could have capitalized upon one of Nature's strangest natural events - the disappearance of a large portion of 4,004-acre Lake Jackson. Wow! What a trick! One day it's there, the next day it ain't! Lake Jackson, located just a few miles northwest of Tallahassee, has two known active sinkholes which are named the Porter Sink and the Lime Sink.

Through natural drought cycles and when water levels get low enough in Lake Jackson, the sinks begin to take more water until water begins rapidly draining from the lake, "vanishing" into the Florida Aquifer in a manner similar to pulling a bathtub plug.

It's not the first time nor, probably, will it be the last for this phenomenon to occur.

In the 20th century alone, Lake Jackson has gone dry in 1900, 1907, 1909, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1957 and 1982. Before that, who knows? For the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Sept. 16 event couldn't have come at a more opportune time as plans for an aquatic resource enhancement project was already in place. Within days FWC dispatched dredging and hauling equipment to the site to begin removing two-million cubic yards of oxygen depleting bottom sediments and muck that had accumulated since the lake's previous dewatering more than 17 years ago. Included in the muck removal will be 20 years of accumulated nitrogen and 29 years of phosphorus deposits. Although Porter Sink removed water from the lake's southern half, approximately 400 to 500 acres of water remain in the main portion of the lake.

Unless Lime Sink becomes active, Biologist Michael Hill is confident that fish remaining in that portion will adequately serve as brood stock when the section around Porter Sink refills. He doesn't think that supplemental stocking will be necessary.

Currently, anglers can continue fishing for bass, bream and catfish in the lake's open portion but are reminded that the present 15- to 19-inch slot regulation for largemouth will remain in effect. Should Lime Sink open, there'll be little to fish for and, if the refill process is long and drawn out, the Commission will reexamine the slot limit provision. It's anticipated that Lake Jackson will begin to refill in late January or February, leaving the Commission and Leon County ample time to complete its renovations.

With average or above rainfall next winter and spring, the dewatered portion could possibly refill in four months as it did following the 1982 occurrence. Due to drought effects of the world-wide La Nina situation, however, Hill warns that it could take anywhere from 12 to 30 months for the lake to recover to normal levels.

A previous 1982 study by the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (the FWCs predecessor) concluded that Lake Jackson suffers from accelerated cultural eutrophication and exhibits symptoms of significant localized habitat degradation due to major land use alterations including the construction of Interstate 10, major shopping centers and spreading residential subdivisions, all of which have impacted surface water runoff quantity and quality, thus increasing the sediment and nutrient loads entering Lake Jackson.

Because the relatively shallow lake has no major inflow or outflow, water levels fluctuate according to rainfall and runoffs through, mostly, man-made drainages.

Eleven years ago a Lake Jackson Conservation Plan was completed which recommended 14 short and long-term changes be made to deal with a spreading urbanization problem. These included the expansion of retention ponds and the construction of man-made marshes to act as nutrient filtration systems.

When Lake Jackson gets back to "normal," we can look forward to some spectacular fishing opportunities.

Through its years of ups and downs, this body of water has, at times, enjoyed an international reputation as one of the world's premier bass fisheries.

Thanks to the recent drainage (a.k.a. drawdown) and current revitalizing effort, our crystal ball predicts Lake Jackson will regain that status sometime in the early 2000s, providing another sinkhole doesn't appear between now and then.