Boaters steer clear of Lake Brantley due to low water levels

Heat, lack of rain causing water to recede

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Memorial Day may be the unofficial start to summer, but some boaters are staying away from Lake Brantley.

Rick Dalrymple said he wanted to take out his boat on Monday, but the water level is so shallow that if he lowers his boat from his dock, it could get stuck.

"We're getting back down to historically low levels," Dalrymple said.

He was able to take his boat out for a spin on Sunday, but he had to physically drag the boat, and on Monday, that was just not possible.

"It was the first time we pulled the boat out of the slip versus driving out," he said.

The water is usually touching the stairs behind his home, but the hot weather and lack of rain over the last several weeks have forced the water to slowly recede.

"You can come out in the mornings and see it's come down about an inch a day,"  neighbor Sean Bloodsworth said. 

He was able to get his boat out on the lake on Monday, but might not be able to for much longer.

"Luckily, we're on a deep canal and we have access to the lake but give it another month and we might not," Bloodsworth said.

Now, he's hoping Mother Nature makes it rain.

"I'm praying for a tropical storm," he said. "Unfortunately, you need something like that to fill it back."