Nov 6, 2007 8:44 pm US/Eastern
Alarms Over Drought, Dry Season Begins
Once-A-Week Lawn Watering Could Take Effect In A Few Weeks
LAKE OKEECHOBEE (CBS4) ―
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Lake Okeechobee is the second largest lake in the United States, the headwaters of The Everglades, and the source of most of South Florida's drinking water. It's also in crisis, shrunken by drought to the lowest levels in recorded history.
CBS
Top water and agriculture officials say they're expecting South Florida's drought to worsen next year.
The South Florida Water Management District said on Tuesday that
water conservation measures will be announced soon because of a regional drought that continues to drain Lake Okeechobee."We are approximately 1.31 ft. lower than the lowest recorded level in history of Lake Okeechobee," said Carol Ann Wehle, SFWMD Executive Director.
The managers may announce steps that include curtailing golf course and lawn watering to one time per week, and cutting water allocations for crops.
The drought could worsen due to the drying effect from a cooling of Pacific Ocean waters known as a La Nina.
A big part of the problem has been the drought's effect on Lake Okeechobee. The lake serves as a reservoir for irrigating sugar, citrus and vegetable crops and as a backup drinking water source
for millions of people.
Levels in the nation's second-largest freshwater lake fell this year to an historic low.
The primary backup water supply for South Florida's five million residents, Lake Okeechobee stands at a little over 10 feet, a record low for this time of year and five feet below normal.
Last April, homeowners in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties were restricted to twice weekly lawn waterings. In May, that was slashed to once a week in Broward and Palm Beach. In July, during the rainy season, the entire region returned to twice weekly waterings.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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