Water levitates above lava 3 blocks from source block

In both Creative and Survival when water is flowing down on lava, the water levitates above the lava when that lava is 3 blocks away from source.

What I expected to happen...
was for the water to flow down and create a cobblestone block then continue to flow onto the ground. Just like it does when the water flows down on the lava that is 1 or 2 blocks away from the source.

What actually happened...
was the water levitates over the lava that is 3 blocks away from the source.