The frontal system that pushed through the area Saturday night brought a total of just over 4 inches of rainfall to Edisto Island between noon yesterday (Saturday, March 3) and 8 a.m. this morning. This basically doubled what we'd had so far this year through the end of February. It was nicely distributed over a 20-hour period, and was more than 10 percent of the total 2011 rainfall here (36.5 inches).
Below, the picture of the orange-stained alligator reflects one effect of the ongoing severe drought conditions in the region. I photographed this specimen in early February in the nearby 8,000-acre Donnelley Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County, in part of the ACE Basin. The water levels in area swamps and fresh-water impoundments have dropped drastically, leaving large areas dry. Widespread areas of an orange-colored "scum" have been noted on mud flats and on top of very shallow water -.areas where the water is usually deeper. Iron-rich ground water seeps up and leaves rust-colored deposits on the surfaces when exposed to the air. This gator had been burrowed in the stuff for a while before coming out to bask in 78-degree temperatures on February 5th.
