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Aug 22, 2008 10:10 am US/Eastern
Lake Okeechobee Water Levels Rise Due To T.S. Fay
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
While Tropical Storm Fay's drenching rain has caused big flooding problems in some Florida communities, there is a positive note for the Sunshine State.
All that rain has raised the level of drought-stricken Lake Okeechobee to above 12 feet for the first time since January 2007. As of Friday, August 22, lake levels are 12.52 feet.
Some South Florida locations and the Kissimmee River Valley saw between three and 12 inches of rainfall from the storm.
It's not only important for the rain to fall directly into the lake but also west and north of the lake because it drains into the Kissimmee Basin. The Kissimmee Basin is where most of the lake's water comes from and authorities predict lake levels will rise even more as rainfall from Fay drains south from the Kissimmee Basin.
The lake is a backup drinking water source for 5 million people but its levels have been alarmingly low lately, less than 11 feet for 511 straight days during the sustained water shortage of the past two years.
Despite the rise in lake water levels, it does not mean the water shortage is over. Authorities say the lake was in the same situation a few years ago, before this crisis started. Consequently, the South Florida Water Management District is moving forward on permanent water use restrictions.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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