Manatee County releases statement after Manatee Dam release

Manatee County Government released the following statement after releasing the Manatee Dam Wednesday night.

The statement read: “Manatee County Utilities is managing water levels at Lake Manatee after another significant rainfall event, with approximately 6 inches of rain falling in about an hour. We have notified several downstream homeowners and understand that additional flooding has occurred due to an already saturated ground. It is important to note that the dam was neither designed nor functions as a flood control structure. At this time, the county continues to monitor flow rates and the potential for additional rainfall and will notify those downstream accordingly.”