According to our friends at the National Weather Service, the dry season is already upon us. But in this month’s Ripple newsletter from the SFWMD, we get a different story:

With the official start of Florida’s dry season less than a month away, conservation remains critical to protect the water supply for the 16-county South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). 

District meteorologists are predicting that rainfall during the dry season — beginning November 1 — will be below average with an El Niño not expected to develop. El Niño is an oscillation of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific that tends to increase the amount of rainfall for Florida. 

Conservation is key in mitigating the impacts of weather extremes and to ensure an adequate and reliable supply of water for the estimated six million new Florida residents by 2025. Today’s water supply must be managed to protect this resource throughout the rest of the fall, winter and next spring. South Florida recently experienced unusually parched dry seasons in 2006 and 2007 during a prolonged rainfall deficit. 

The State of the System
Since June 1, District-wide rainfall averaged 35.18 inches during the first four months of the wet season. September’s rainfall average was 5.56 inches, about one-and-a-half inches below the historical average for the month. 

Water conditions are now above average throughout the District, including in the three Water Conservation Areas and several Stormwater Treatment Areas. Most lakes in the Upper Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are at or near regulation schedule. Lake Istokpoga’s water level is slightly above its regulation schedule. 

With a water level of 14.91 NGVD on October 20, Lake Okeechobee is at the upper end of its preferred operational water level of 12.5 feet NGVD to 15.5 feet NGVD. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to make low-volume baseflow releases from Lake Okeechobee. For details, visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers web site at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/. 

Modified Water Restrictions
By mid-September, groundwater and surface water levels that had been trending upward since the wet season began reached sufficient levels to allow modifications to emergency water restrictions. With the water supply rebounding, the SFWMD Governing Board issued updated restrictions at its meeting on September 11. The modified restrictions went into effect September 26. 

Modifications allow all agricultural operations, golf courses and plant nurseries to return to using their standard monthly water allocation.

Two-day-a-week residential landscape irrigation restrictions remain in place. Continuing wet season rainfall means lawns do not need more frequent irrigation. Irrigating on two days or less is sufficient to keep lawns healthy. 

For details on current water restrictions, visit www.sfwmd.gov/conserve. 

Water Conservation Update
Because conservation remains critical for ensuring water availability for future needs, the Governing Board approved a Comprehensive Water Conservation Program in September. 

New conservation measures detailed in the program are designed to accomplish a measurable change in water use. Components and key strategies include:

• Goal-based conservation planning, implementation and improved reporting for large, permitted water users.
• Conservation-based rate structures for utilities designed to encourage water savings and discourage high-volume use.
• Retrofitting of outdated, water-guzzling plumbing devices.
• Year-round landscape irrigation measures.
• Adopting and incorporating Florida-friendly landscaping principles.
• Water conservation education strategies, including classroom education, social marketing and professional development.
• A call for governments and large users to lead by example.

Read the water conservation plan [PDF] and get tips on saving water at: www.savewaterfl.com.