Rains Ease Dry Spell in South Florida

Rains Ease Dry Spell in South Florida



April 2008 - Above average rains in March 
have eased the prolonged dry spell across South Florida, but the area's 
water managers warn that April is the arid month. 
Abundant rainfall in both February and March has helped improve surface 
and groundwater levels in most areas of the district's 16 counties, the 
South Florida Water Management District today announced. 
But the district said South Florida remains in a regional water shortage 
and is still recovering from multi-year water scarcity. Landscape 
irrigation restrictions remain in place. 
"These two wet months have brought much-needed relief to our two-year dry 
spell," said SFWMD Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle. "The rainfall - 
combined with proactive water management and Florida's citizens, farms and 
businesses doing their part to conserve water - has helped improve water 
resource conditions." 
District-wide March rainfall averaged 3.35 inches, slightly higher than 
the historical average for the month. February rainfall averaged 2.99 
inches, about an inch higher than the historical average. 
Early April also saw above-average rainfall district-wide, with 0.50 
inches recorded in three days, or about one-quarter inch above average. 
Since the start of the dry season in November, district meteorologists 
have recorded an average of 9.79 inches of rain across the region. 

While this is only 79 percent of the historical average, or a deficit of 
2.55 inches, it is an improvement over this same period last year, when an 
average of only six inches of rain fell across the District, or 50 percent 
of the historical average. 
In some areas of the district, dry season rainfall is now close to 
historical averages as a result of the February and March rains. 
Hendry County through western Palm Beach County and eastern Broward County 
received over 90 percent of that region's historical average. 
The district's four northernmost basins - Upper Kissimmee, Lower 
Kissimmee, Okeechobee and Martin/St. Lucie County basins - received 66 to 
76 percent of historical rainfall average since November. 
The basin along Florida's southwest coast in Lee and Collier counties 
received 70 percent of the historical average. 
The recent rainfall is considered a rarity during the current La Niña 
conditions. La Niña is a strong weather pattern in the equatorial Pacific 
that almost always signals below average rainfall for Florida in April. 
Because of La Niña conditions, all official long-term climatic forecasts 
continue to call for below-average rainfall for the region. 
Groundwater and surface water levels across most of the district have 
responded favorably to the moderate gains from February, March and early 
April rain events. 
Groundwater levels are in good shape and are higher now than this time 
last year, the district said, with the exception of a few wells in Lee and 
Collier counties that remain low. Water levels in the Kissimmee River are 
at their regulation, or optimum, levels and higher than this time last 
year. 
Water levels in the three Everglades Water Conservation Areas in western 
Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties are near or above their 
regulation, or optimum, levels for this time of year and nearly a foot 
higher than this time last year. 
At 10.32 feet above sea level this morning, Lake Okeechobee levels have 
risen three-quarters of an inch over the past week and are expected to 
continue this upward trend. But levels remain about four feet below the 
historical average for this time of year. 
Lake Okeechobee is the source of water for 500,000 acres of farmland in 
the Everglades Agricultural Area and serves as a primary backup supply to 
more than five million South Floridians. 
South Florida's dry season begins in November and ends with the start of 
the wet season, typically in June. One of the year's driest months is 
April, which historically averages only 2.5 inches of rain district-wide. 
"April is the ideal time to heighten water use awareness," Wehle said. "We 
must create a long-term culture of conservation to protect South Florida's 
limited water resources, not only in April but every month of the year." 
To achieve that, stakeholders have been meeting with the district to 
develop a year-round water conservation program for South Florida. Their 
recommendations will be presented to the Governing Board next week to 
guide a conservation program across the entire region.

---