May 14, 2008 1:41 pm US/Eastern
Lake "O" Water Level Dips Below 10-Feet
LAKE OKEECHOBEE (CBS4) ―
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Lake Okeechobee's water level has dropped below 10-feet.
CBS
For the first time since beginning of the year, Lake Okeechobee has dropped below the 10 foot level.
The South Florida Water Management District reported Tuesday due to our dry conditions, the lake's level had dropped to 9.97 feet; it's lowest level since last February.
Up until the beginning of May, February, March and April had higher than anticipated rainfall which helped keep the lakes level about the 10-foot mark. Also as a result of the wetter than usual three month period, water managers allowed most homes and businesses to increase their landscape water to twice a week.
South Florida's tinder dry conditions also helped fuel a wildlife on the lake earlier this month which burned nearly 6-thousand acres.
The muck and grass fire burned near Moore Haven, about 80 miles west of West Palm Beach. Fires also burned on some of the grassy islands in the lake.
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