Don't Expect Water Restrictions To Go Away Anytime Soon

Water, water, everywhere
Nor any drop to drink.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

The drought isn't over. Despite the South Florida Water Management District easing of water restrictions this week in large parts of the county, including the western communities, Florida is still in the middle of one of the worst water shortages in its history. And while recent rainfall has made a dent in the multi-year shortfall affecting the state, it's not enough. Lack of rain the past six months or so led to the recent extreme water restrictions affecting daily life in the western communities and beyond. Currently, Lake Okeechobee, the region's backup water source, is more than four feet below the normal level for this time of year.

The ongoing drought conditions got many water customers, especially commercial interests, understandably hot under the collar. Some people have suggested the SFWMD is utterly clueless and that the district precipitated the current situation by lowering the lake level in anticipation of a busy 2006 hurricane season that never arrived.

Friday, July 6, marked eight months since water flowed from the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee. This was done in accordance with regulation schedules set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Kissimmee River and water bodies in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes region. As a result, the southernmost and northernmost ends of the river remain impassable by boat, and small islands have appeared on miles of banks that normally would be flooded this time of year. Despite recent rains, water levels remain below normal in the Kissimmee watershed that typically helps replenish Lake Okeechobee, and backup water storage in the watershed has been lost because of the severe regional drought.

While many are voicing displeasure with the powers that be, there are also those individuals who believe the SFWMD was justified to maintain its tough Phase 3 watering restrictions limiting lawn watering to once a week, a mandate in effect for three months and still in force in some parts of the county. Among the goals is to help elevate Lake Okeechobee back to its "normal" level.

As a result of the system of canals and levees built following the hurricane of 1928, virtually all discharges into and out of the lake are now artificially controlled. Details on the impact the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee has had on South Florida since the 1930s are another story. The 140-mile-long, 30-foot-high, 100-foot-wide earthen wall encircling Lake Okeechobee has been successful in part because water managers customarily lower the level of the lake when a particularly powerful storm is coming.

However, the dike severed Lake Okeechobee's natural connection to the Everglades, severely disrupting the natural ecosystem of South Florida and helping promote the runaway growth of recent decades.

Regardless of what you believe, one thing seems pretty clear: in order for Lake Okeechobee to return to normal depth, we need more than an occasional sprinkle from the skies. Unless there are some dramatic changes soon - from the heavens above, through readjustment of Corps criteria, or some combination thereof - we anticipate some form of water restriction will still be in place into 2008, and maybe beyond.

It is time for South Floridians to realize that water restrictions are likely to be a fact of life in our tropical paradise. While we will not always be under Phase 3 restrictions, it is possible that three-times-a-week Phase 1 restrictions may become permanent. Wellington, for example, is considering an ordinance to mandate as such. Smart growth, smart planning and a little bit of sacrifice can help us ensure that South Florida does not dry out.

This article originally appeared in The Town-Crier.