Brooklyn Lake receded about 20 feet during 1954-58 and reached its lowest stage of record (97.2 feet) in February 1958; this was the lowest stage in the memory of longtime residents. This unusually large recession was a result of deficient rainfall during more than a 3-year period, January 1954 to May 1957. However, by October 1959, after 2 1/2 years of above normal rainfall, the lake had recovered and water was flowing through the surface outlet.