Parts of Florida Dealing With Drought Conditions
April 29, 2020 Understandably, just about everything has taken a back seat to coronavirus lately. That includes the weather. In the meantime though, Florida’s dry season is looking to leave its mark before exiting stage left.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (SWFWMD) Governing Board has voted to declare a Phase I Water Shortage for the District’s central and southern regions, which include Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties.
According to SWFMD, the primary purpose for a Phase I water shortage is to alert the public that watering restrictions could be forthcoming. The order also requires local utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing year-round water conservation measures and water shortage restrictions, including reporting enforcement activity to the District.
Across the neighboring St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) 18-county jurisdiction, rainfall is almost 6 inches below normal for the past three months, and March rainfall averaged barely one quarter inch. Moderate drought conditions have developed across most of the district, including Clay, Putnam, and St. Johns counties where 12-month rainfall totals are less than 40 inches. By comparison, the average 12-month rainfall is just more than 51 inches.
SJRWMD reports that groundwater levels in the Floridan aquifer have dropped by approximately 15% over the last month.
Earlier this month, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) issued an order on water conservation measures with strict guidelines to property owners to follow irrigation schedules that conserve water amid drier than average conditions.
Statistics indicate rainfall has been about 6.5 inches below average from November 2019 to March 2020. Groundwater levels are decreasing districtwide and the U.S. Drought Monitor lists all of South Florida as experiencing at least “Moderate Drought” conditions with portions of Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade counties, and the Lower East Coast being classified as “Abnormally Dry.”
Florida’s dry season runs October through May and April is historically one of the driest months of the year. Up next, hurricane season.
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