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Everglades

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Everglades Restoration Continues Despite Water Scarcity
Environment News Service/ Mar 10
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and South Florida Water Management District report details a year of scientific, engineering and restoration work to improve the environmental quality of the Everglades and the entire South Florida ecosystem.

Blackwater refuge is ‘Everglades of the North’
Dick Cooper/ The Philadelphia Inquirer/ Mar 9
Bald eagles lead the avian parade at Maryland's Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 27,000 teeming acres known as "the Everglades of the North."

Corps' Glades fix too little, too late
Miami Herald editorial/ Mar 6
What the Corps is proposing -- the latest of several solutions offered over many years -- is not good enough. To get an idea of the scope of the one-mile bridge proposal, consider that the Corps' acknowledged best remedy for restoring sheet flow to the parched system is an 11-mile skyway to replace the Trail. There is just one hitch to the skyway, according to the Corps -- the price. At last count, the agency says that the skyway would cost $1.6 billion. Skyway advocates such as the Sierra Club charge that the Corps' estimate is grossly inflated.

Revamped Tamiami Trail-Glades project lightens costs
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Mar 3
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed an affordable compromise on mitigating Tamiami Trail's impact on the Everglades: More than cleaning out the culverts but a lot less than an 11-mile skyway.

Audubon says low bird numbers indicate ecological distress in bay
Jacksonville.com/ Florida AP News/ Mar 5
TAVERNIER, Fla. - An environmental group says the Florida Bay is showing signs of ecological collapse after studies found roseate (ROS'-ee-it) spoonbill nests at their lowest numbers since the 1960s.

Water management tricky in South Florida
Michael Mayo/ Sun-Sentinel/Mar 2
A few weeks ago, rare, heavy February rains pelted the Everglades water conservation area where he regularly takes his airboat. But in a matter of days, he saw all that water vanish.

Florida's Drinking Water Is Running Low
Dona Gibbs/ Ohmy International News/ Feb 29
Restoring the Everglades may avert a crisis

Pythons could squeeze lower third of USA
Elizabeth Weise/ USAToday/ Feb 21
As climate change warms the nation, giant Burmese pythons could colonize
one-third of the USA, from San Francisco across the Southwest, Texas and
the South and up north along the Virginia coast, according to U.S.
Geological Survey maps released Wednesday.

EPA Kisses Off Florida's Wetlands
PEER/ Feb 20
WASHINGTON, DC - February 20 - Overruling its own specialists, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is opening the door to a new wave of mega-developments that will sharply erode Florida’s already declining water quality, according to agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In the arrangement, EPA has agreed to overlook warnings of more toxic algae outbreaks, growing saltwater intrusion and spreading contamination of the state’s fragile groundwater.

Earth First! Blockades Florida Power Plant Construction, 27 Arrested
Environment News Service/ Feb 19
The activists say they took this action to protect the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, which lies 1,000 feet from the power plant site and to protect the larger Everglades ecosystem.

Help clean up the Chesapeake
Citizens Voice/ Feb 15
Restoring the Chesapeake Bay is one of the most important environmental initiatives ever in the East, on par with restoration of the Everglades or the fledgling effort to restore Gulf Coast wetlands.

Crist seeks federal aid to restore Everglades
Larry Lipman/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 13
Gov. Charlie Crist went to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to try to get more federal money released quickly for Everglades restoration.

Water managers blast Army Corps over Everglades costs
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 13
Water managers blasted the Army Corps of Engineers this morning for failing to pay its promised half of the costs for a series of Everglades-related projects.

'Glades reservoir project in Martin on hold while money issues sorted out
Gabriel Margasak/ TCPalm/ Feb 12
Because of ambiguity surrounding how much money is available and because of rising construction costs, South Florida Water Management District officials have postponed further construction of the giant water-cleansing reservoir and stormwater treatment area off the C-44 Canal.

Crist visits Washington seeking funds to restore River of Grass
Eun Kyung Kim/ Tallahasee Democrat/ Feb 13
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist made the rounds on Capitol Hill Tuesday to help secure federal funding for one of the top priorities of his administration — Everglades restoration.

Undermining the Everglades
Joel Engelhardt/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 12
Existing regulations will protect the environment, the landowner says, so Palm Beach County needs to quit stalling and let mines move forward in the vast Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee. "To continue talking about studying the area - from a landowner perspective and from the miner's perspective - is overkill because if they're doing their job and the rules are right the resources are going to be protected."

Everglades funds in limbo until state clean surface waters
Charlotte Sun Herald/ Feb 10
Florida is blamed for failing to establish and implement water cleanup programs. Billions of federal and state dollars have been allocated for the Everglades, but not spent.

Water managers want new homes rejected
Charles Rabin and Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Feb 9
Regional water managers say Miami-Dade County doesn't have enough water to support new homes, offices and a big-box hardware store proposed at the county's western fringes.

Slap at South Florida
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Feb 9
Last year, South Florida finally got some hope that after nearly a decade Washington would begin paying the federal government's share of Everglades restoration. Put that hope on hold for another year.

Retain county control over road-rock mining
The task force that spent six weeks looking at mining regulations in Florida doesn't know if there's a critical shortage of aggregate rock, which mines produce for building roads. The task force doesn't know how much rock is left or how much the state needs. Without that information, the task force last week refused to issue firm recommendations on regulations.

Water district needs aircraft to fulfill its mission for a 16-county region
Eric Buermann guest commentary/ Sun-Sentinel/ Feb 6
Recent reporting regarding aircraft use by the South Florida Water Management District begs a fact-based response.

Public to give input on Everglades plan
Mary Wozniak/ News-Press/ Feb 5
Two meetings are planned for Southwest Florida in late spring to hear public comment on a proposed long-term management plan for Everglades National Park.

Survey state rock supply, task force tells legislature
Mitra Malek/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 3
Rock mining is key to ensuring people have buildings to live and work in and roads to get there.

Environmentalists oppose Palm Beach County landfill plan
Andy Reid/ Sun Sentinel/ Feb 1
Moving a proposed landfill farther from the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge could put it right beside a massive reservoir being built for Everglades restoration.

Reservoir price tag skyrockets to $700 million
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Jan 31
The estimated price tag for a 16,700-acre reservoir in far western Palm Beach County has exploded 75 percent to more than $700 million in just a year and a half, auditors told water managers today.

Water district to reduce spending
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Jan 29
Now it's water managers' turn to tighten their belts.

Costs erode water district's support for storage wells
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Jan 22
Ten years ago, an ambitious, controversial technology lay at the heart of the state's plans for restoring the Everglades and expanding South Florida's water supply.

Candidates' views on the Everglades
Naples Daily News/ Jan 21

Researchers keep tabes on wading bird population in Everglades
Donna Gehrke-White/ Miami Herald/ Jan 20
RESEARCHERS HOPE THE REGION'S DRY SPELL DOESN'T AFFECT THE SURGING NUMBER OF WADING BIRDS AT EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

Everglades Coalition optimistic as Crist backs restoration effort
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Jan 14
A year after taking office, Gov. Charlie Crist is receiving almost giddy reviews from many Everglades activists, who appear eager to move past their tense relations with former Gov. Jeb Bush.

Everglades Restoration Gains Urgency as Climate Warms
Environment News Service/ Jan 14
Global warming means restoration of the Everglades is more important than ever, a University of Miami expert in coastal marine environments told hundreds of conservationists, scientists and state and federal leaders at the Everglades Coalition's annual conference on the weekend.

Hope on Horizon for Everglades Restoration
Brian Skoloff/ The Ledger/ Jan 13
CAPTIVA The U.S. Interior Department remains committed to Everglades restoration, but the complexities of such a vast project - the largest of its kind in the world - can often get bogged down in bureaucracy, the agency's assistant secretary said Friday.

Goss pleads for unified environmental effort
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Jan 12
"It is well established in literary circles that 'No man is an island, entire of itself,'" Goss said. "On Sanibel, we found that no island is an island, entire of itself."

2 Bush aides back Glades restoration plan
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Jan 11
CAPTIVA -- Two top White House aides vowed Friday to start work on overhauling the Tamiami Trial -- a project intended to revive the Everglades but which has been delayed for more than a decade -- by year's end.

Everglades restoration lagging, but hope is on the horizon
Brian Skoloff/ Miami Herald/ Jan 11
CAPTIVA, Fla. -- The U.S. Interior Department remains committed to Everglades restoration, but the complexities of such a vast project - the largest of its kind in the world - can oftentimes get bogged down in bureaucracy, the agency's assistant secretary said Friday.

Crist's anti-pollution policies please environmentalists
Curtis Morgan and Marc Caputa/ Miami Herald/ Jan 11
Florida's governor has earned the admiration and praise of state conservationists -- and angered some in his own party -- for his environment-friendly agenda.

Everglades Coalition to get restoration priorities in order
Julio Ochoa/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 9
Everglades restoration will take center stage in Southwest Florida this week as environmental leaders and politicians visit Pine Island for the annual Everglades Coalition conference.

Lawmakers consider Everglades restoration
Jim Ash/ Pensacola News/ Jan 7
TALLAHASSEE -- Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could be in for a grilling today when a legislative panel studies the progress of the massive Everglades restoration program.

Sides Line Up in Florida State-Federal Water Dispute
Environment News Service/ Jan 2
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, January 2, 2008 (ENS) - A lawsuit by three environmental groups seeking to force the South Florida Water Management District to obtain federal discharge permits for pumping water into Florida's largest lake has attracted a large number of opponents.

When South Florida Water
Cynthia Barnett/ Miami Herald/ Jan 6
Cynthia Barnett, a reporter and editor at Florida Trend magazine, is the author of ``Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.''

USGS Everglades Elevation data on web in new format
Greg Desmond/ USGS/

Sparing sparrows may cause sparring in Everglades restoration
Ed Killer/ TCPalm/ Jan 5
Sadly, this tiny little bird arrived on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species list on March 11, 1967 along with neighbors like the Everglades snail kite, manatee, Florida panther, Key deer and American alligator. Of these, only the alligator has been removed from the list. And there is still much debate over the status of the manatee, but it appears to be doing better than it was 41 years ago.

Tamiami not culprit
Letter to Miami Herald/ Michael Grant/ Jan 4

Bureaucracy Floats Through the Everglades
Greg Allen/ Jan 08
Since then, Florida has spent billions on restoration. But for the most part, the federal portion of the project, known as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, has yet to get off the ground.

Help for the Everglades
Miami Herald letter/ Dec 30

Everglades Not To Blame For Agriculture's Woes
Thom Rumberger/ Tampa Bay Online/ Dec 27
Much has been made of government's decision last summer not to pump phosphorous rich water into Lake Okeechobee. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson claims that this one decision - which some claim will somehow deprive growers of some irrigation water - makes up $4 million of the $1 billion in losses expected to Florida's farm economy.

Everglades' lesson at 60: Controlling nature is incompatible with restoring it
Jack Davis/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 23

$1.6B cost may ground Glades Skyway
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Dec 21
The Everglades Skyway, despite backing from environmentalists and business boosters, won't be built anytime soon. Or maybe ever, if a new $1.6 billion federal estimate for the 11-mile span is close to reality.

Forecast 2008 drought would harm Everglades
John Allman/ Herald Tribune/ Dec 19
A severe drought forecast for 2008 could further damage the fragile Everglades ecosystem at a time when officials are scrambling to save the state's River of Grass.

Federal money flows to South Florida. Here's the list.
Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 21

List of Florida projects funded by Congress
Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 20

Congressional spending bill funnels millions to South Florida
William Gibson/ Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 20
WASHINGTON - A giant spending bill approved by Congress on Wednesday will bring millions of dollars to South Florida for Everglades restoration, new buses and research on how to prevent extensive damage from hurricanes.

New Year Holds Potential For Damage To The Everglades
John Allman/ Tampa Bay Online/ Dec 18
A severe drought, forecast for 2008, could further damage the fragile Everglades ecosystem at a time when officials are scrambling to save the state's River of Grass.

Still no case that Bush is Everglades 'partner'
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 17
Nine days ago, The Post published a commentary by an assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Interior Department. Kameran Onley wanted to rebut a Nov. 30 editorial criticizing the Bush administration for its failure to keep the federal government's deal with Florida on Everglades restoration. But Ms. Onley offered fluff and spin, not answers.

Water district balks on rock issues
Hector Florin/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 14
WEST PALM BEACH — Pressure to develop in the Everglades Agricultural Area has shifted from building rooftops to blasting rock for roads.

Everglades cleanup could dodge public records laws
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 13
Counting on capitalism and secrecy to help solve South Florida's environmental problems, water managers on Wednesday agreed to pursue using $10 million in taxpayer money to jump-start "clean technologies" — in deals exempt from public records laws.

Slow down momentum for Everglades mining
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 13
Palm Beach County commissioners and the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District will meet today to discuss drought, Everglades restoration and a Glades-area water plant. But the critical issue of mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area was absent from the agenda. So on Tuesday, county commissioners had to formally ask that it be added.

Everglades warning senselessly silenced
St Pete Times editorial/ Nov 27
Except for the implications to what has been described as an international biosphere, Richard Harvey could be just another name on the list of scientists the Bush administration has silenced.

Orlando's role in saving Everglades
Thom Rumberger/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 10
The problem starts at the urban fringe of Orlando, where polluted stormwater runoff enters the intricate network of streams and rivers and lakes flowing southward through farmlands.

Saving the Everglades one small project at a time
Paul L Grosskruger/ Miami Herald guest commentary/ Dec 8
Recent passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 represents an important step forward in Everglades restoration. This act benefits South Florida in many ways, but specifically for the Everglades, it grants congressional authorization for projects that have long had unfailing public support.

Everglades work far from standing still
Kameran Onley/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 8
The Nov. 30 editorial in The Palm Beach Post, "Everglades stagnation," begins by asserting, "Blame President Bush and years of an uncooperative Congress. Everglades restoration is at a standstill ..." This statement ignores the many accomplishments that are under way and even federal efforts before 2000.

Our position: The Army Corps is smart to try to show short-term progress in Glades restoration
Orlando Sentinel editorial/ Dec 7
Don't get us wrong. We're thrilled that Congress last month overturned President Bush's veto of a water-projects bill, which among other things authorized $1.8 billion in federal funding for Everglades restoration.

Latest strategy to boost Everglades restoration: Get some results fast
William Gibson/ Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 5
WASHINGTON - The Army Corps of Engineers has revised its plan for Everglades restoration to show quick results and help persuade Congress to pay for the project over several decades.

How the Everglades Was Saved—At First
Alexander Burns/ American Heritage/ Dec 6
This project has flagged in recent years, and conservationists have struggled to attract the attention of a government preoccupied by the Iraq War. Time may not be on the Everglades’ side, but Truman’s conservationist tradition is unlikely to fade quietly.

Happy anniversary, Everglades National Park
Miami Herald editorial/ Dec 2
OUR OPINION: RESTORATION PLAN NEEDS BETTER STEWARDSHIP

Army Corps alters strategy on Everglades restoration
William Gibson/ Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 5
WASHINGTON - The Army Corps of Engineers has revised its plan for Everglades restoration to show quick results and help persuade Congress to pay for the project over several decades.

The Everglades at 60: Dazzling wildlife masks a bigger, not-so-pretty picture.
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Dec 1
SNAKE BIGHT -- Sunrise. Late autumn. A fast-falling Florida Bay tide drains the mud banks of this big shallow basin near Flamingo, the end of the road in Everglades National Park.

Everglades water quality plan based on inadequate data, expert says
Randy Porch/ TCPalm/ Dec 1
STUART — A massive plan to restore the Everglades and Florida water quality is based on inadequate data, wetlands expert Paul N. Gray said Friday at a presentation to the Rivers Coalition.

Everglades stagnation
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Nov 30Letter: Do we really think WRDA will restore river, lake, lagoon? TCPalm letter/ Nov 29

Project May Swamp Sumica to Store Water
Tom palmer/ The Ledger/ Nov 27BARTOW South Florida water managers plan to use 1,920 acres of the Sumica environmental site to store 125 million gallons of water for its Everglades restoration plan.

Toughen mining rules
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Nov 27The South Florida Water Management District has caught on to the potential danger of rock mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Why can't Palm Beach County?

Water managers must give up polluting
DEXTER W. LEHTINEN/ Miami Herald/ Nov 23Re Eric Buermann's Nov. 20 Other Views article, Keep Florida's right to control its natural resources: The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has been given anti-pollution permitting responsibilities and the mission of restoring the Everglades.

Rising costs put Glades project in doubt
Florida Trend/ Nov 23The grim assessment came from Gary Hardesty, a top federal engineer in charge of the project, which has failed to live up to its ambitious promise since Congress approved it amid much public fanfare in 2000.

Who Lost America's Everglades?
Alan Farago/ Counterpunch/ Nov 22The question, then, who lost the Everglades?

Everglades Project Is Bogged Down
Brian Skoloff/ AP/ Nov 23WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The multibillion-dollar project to restore the Everglades has come to a near standstill, and the government can no longer estimate how much it will cost or how long it will take, the top federal official in charge of construction told The Associated Press.

EPA removes expert who criticized Everglades program
Craig Pittman/ St Pete Times/ Nov 19In 1999, when federal officials unveiled a plan for restoring the Everglades, Richard Harvey was there representing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For the next seven years, whenever there was a meeting to work out the details of repairing the River of Grass - and there were plenty - Harvey served as the EPA's expert.

New cleanup plan focuses on area north of Lake Okeechobee
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 17Water managers on Friday laid out a new plan to reduce the pollution washing into Lake Okeechobee and eventually flowing to the Everglades.

Florida Seeks Input on Northern Everglades Restoration
Environment News Service/ Nov 16WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, November 16, 2007 (ENS) - Florida state scientists and engineers today released a draft technical plan to protect and restore the Lake Okeechobee watershed and improve the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie watersheds, together known as the Northern Everglades.

CORPS SLAMS FLORIDA FOR VIOLATING WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
PEER/ Nov 14Washington, DC — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers refuses to contribute a dime to Florida water projects to reduce high levels of pollution flowing into and out of Lake Okeechobee, according to a memo released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Corps claims the state is disqualified from federal assistance due to its continuing violation of minimum national water quality standards, noting that the state “is not likely to come into compliance for several decades.”

Water reuse: a solution to drought in the Florida wetlands
Bill frogameni/ Christian Science Monitor/ Nov 7West Palm Beach is sprinkling up to 10 million gallons of reclaimed water onto the marshy expanse each day.

Celebrate our victory, but know our job isn't finished
Maggy Hurchalla/ TC Palm/ Nov 12It’s not just about the WRDA approval. It’s not just about getting federal appropriations for the IRL Plan.It’s about comprehensive Everglades restoration.

Michael Peltier: Saunders hopes to end career with enviro bang
Michael Peltier/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 11TALLAHASSEE — With one legislative session left to go, Sen. Burt Saunders is attempting to go out with an environmental bang as he tries to build on successes of the past several years.

Writer: 'Glades Projects Stalled
The Ledger/ Nov 11This week Congress passed a $23 billion water resources bill over President Bush's veto, but don't expect Everglades restoration projects in the bill to start soon, the author of a book on the River of Grass said Saturday.

Masterpiece on the environment
Jack Davis/ Miami Herald/ Nov 11When Dade County relocated its public library to a new building in 1985, the last several hundred books were moved by a human chain. The Everglades: River of Grass, the last of them all, was carried by a runner like a torch.

Everglades win
News-Press editorial/ Nov 10The Everglades, long starved of money and attention by the federal government, finally saw its day this past week.

Override of Everglades bill a lesson for Bush, a benefit for Florida
Sun-Sentinel editorial/ Nov 9Congress voted to override a Bush veto — the first time for this president. That milestone is notable enough, but there's a more important message coming out of this bipartisan decision to defy the White House.

Congress overrides Bush veto; millions on way for Picayune Strand, Everglades restoration
Amie Parnes/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 8After more than seven years, the Water Resources Development Act — which includes more than $375 million in funding for the Picayune Strand Forest in Collier County and other Everglades restoration projects — became law Thursday after the U.S. Senate voted to override President Bush’s veto of the legislation.

Wild, beautiful, fragile Everglades
Bob Downing/ Akron Beacon Journal/ Nov 11Everglades National Park is a big, flat, swampy and often buggy place. It covers 1.5 million acres at the southern tip of Florida, only one hour from downtown Miami.

Last of Cape Sable sparrows on their own
Joel Moroney/ News-Press/ Nov 9The Cape Sable seaside sparrow will live and die in the Everglades without benefit of artificially lowering water during mating season now that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has altered its plan to save the tiny bird.

Major water act includes dollars for Everglades restoration
Brent Kallestad/ Herald Tribune/ Nov 8TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Sens. Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez joined 77 of their colleagues to hand President Bush his first veto override, enacting a $23 billion water resources bill that includes critical funding for restoring the Everglades and a handful of other Florida water projects.

Congress Overrides Bush Veto of Water Resources Development Act
Environment News Service/ Nov 8WASHINGTON, DC, November 8, 2007 (ENS) - Congress handed President George W. Bush the first veto defeat of his presidency today as the Senate approved the $23 billion Water Resources Development Act, WRDA, by a wide majority. The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to override the president's veto on Tuesday.

Crist: Override president on WRDA
SV Date/ Palm Beach Post/ Nov 6“Failure to pass WRDA 2007 (Water Resources Development Act) will cause greater delays, increased costs and drastically hamper the restoration effort,” Crist wrote.

Congress may override veto to let money flow to Everglades restoration
William Gibson/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 3WASHINGTON - Determined to unleash federal funding for Everglades restoration, Florida leaders and environmental advocates predicted that Congress next week will override President Bush's veto of a bill that would authorize spending on hundreds of popular water projects around the country.

All wet
Tallahassee Democrat/ editorial/ Nov 5President Bush's veto Friday of a $23 billion water bill - more than $2 billion of which was earmarked for Everglades restoration and other Florida water projects - came as no surprise.

Effort to Save Everglades Falters as Funds Drop
Abby Goodnough/ NY Times/ Nov 1MIAMI, Oct. 31 — The rescue of the Florida Everglades, the largest and most expensive environmental restoration project on the planet, is faltering.

Lake Okeechobee

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Lake Tohopekaliga, East Lake Begin Their Fall Toward Hurricane Season
Bill Graf/ SFWMD news room/ Mar 4
Both lakes offer the endangered bird its favorite prey – the apple snail – and suitable shoreline vegetation for nesting. But according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife research, the kites do better when water levels fall more slowly. Researchers also believe that starting the spring lowering of lake levels early in the nesting season may provide a cue to nesting kites, prompting an expectation of receding water.

Contaminated muck buried, piled near Lake Okeechobee
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Mar 6
The muck was buried or piled on land at least 17 feet above sea level and new guidelines cap the lake's water level at 17.25 feet

Lake Levels Kept High for Nesting Everglades Snail Kites
Environment News Service/ Mar 4
ORLANDO, Florida, March 4, 2008 (ENS) - The Everglades snail kite is getting some help nesting this year from the South Florida Water Management District. Each year, usually in the middle of March, the district begins to bring down the lakes of the Kissimmee Chain to create the flood storage necessary during the hurricane season, opening June 1.

Lake O too low for bass event
Karen Sorentrue/ Palm Beach Post/ Mar 2
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has spent the last two years trying to reel in one of the largest bass fishing tours in the country.

Lake Toho treatment needed
Ed Killer/ TCPalm/ Feb 24
KISSIMMEE — Near Lanier Point on West Lake Tohopekaliga, a snail kite beats its wings just enough to hover above a thicket of bulrushes and sedges.

Water managers eye erosion as possible flood threat after drought
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 14
The board of the South Florida Water Management District today approved $32 million in emergency spending to shore up the threatened floodgates, which lie on the Kissimmee River several miles upstream of the lake.

Lake Okeechobee again hits record low for this time of year
AP/ Feb 12
Lake Okeechobee has again hit a record low.

Lake O may be 'headed for new record low'
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Feb 12
South Florida's water supply worries took another dubious dip Monday, when Lake Okeechobee dropped below 10 feet earlier in the dry season than ever before.

Bush budget: $77.4 million to repair Hoover Dike
Larry Lipman/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 4
WASHINGTON — President Bush's budget calls for $77.4 million to rehabilitate the crumbling Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.

Dike budget disappoints lawmakers
Larry Lipman/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 5
Local members of Congress said Monday they are disappointed with President Bush's budget proposals for key South Florida projects.

Army Corps: Lake O Navigational Channel Getting Slim
TC Palm/ Feb 1
USACE Press Release

Lake Okeechobee's low level prompts renewed warning to boaters
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Feb 2
Lake Okeechobee's record-breaking drop in water level prompted the Army Corps of Engineers on Friday to renew a low-water warning to boaters who use the lake to travel back and forth between Florida's coasts.

New machine is fixing Lake O levee
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Jan 24
Federal engineers are trying out a new, high-tech process to shore up the Lake Okeechobee levee.

New wall intended to fix Lake Okeechobee's aging dike
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Jan 24
A drill resembling a massive upside-down chain saw cut into Lake Okeechobee's aging dike Wednesday in a renewed push to protect South Florida from flooding.

Water pumps on Okeechobee to rescue?
Central Florida Outdoors/ Jan 22

Lake O has its limits
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Jan 14

Water managers prepare for even worse shortages
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Jan 8
With Lake Okeechobee projected to plunge beneath the reach of existing supply gates and pipes, South Florida water managers Tuesday approved some $25 million in emergency actions, including new pumps capable of draining the lake to unprecedented lows.

Water agency to tap Lake O nearly to limit to help growers
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Jan 9
In their latest salvo against drought, water managers are preparing to drain Lake Okeechobee almost to the dregs to keep irrigation supplies flowing to neighboring farms.

Solving pollution problem must begin north of Lake O
Letter to TCPalm / Veronica Pasquale/ Jan 6
In the Nov. 24 issue of the News, I noted an article, “Find the problem and fix it, say scientists about Lake Okeechobee” — a report on Lake O’s pollution problems by a team of international scientists “from the Netherlands to Montana.” Hardly inconsequential.

Forum to focus on fixing Lake O, preserving water supply
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Jan 1
Lake Okeechobee sits at an all-time low, but the thirst of nearby crops and a growing population continues to pull at what decades ago became South Florida's backup reservoir.

Lake O, funding go dry as water is wasted at sea
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 27
While Lake Okeechobee remains at record low levels and drought continues through much of central South Florida, water managers sent 250 billion gallons of coastal runoff out to sea during the summer rainy season. They had no choice.

Rain lost to sea as Lake Okeechobee shrivels
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 21
Even amid a record-breaking drought, water managers' floodgates from Fort Pierce to Boca Raton dumped roughly 250 billion gallons of coastal runoff out to sea during this year's hurricane season, according to a Palm Beach Post analysis of water-flow data.

Disney Wilderness Preserve a little oasis
Tim Povtak/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 19
POINCIANA - Don't let the Disney name discourage you. Mickey Mouse won't be taking this hike anytime soon. If he does, he likely would become dinner for a red-shouldered hawk. There is nothing touristy about it.

Developer caught between rocks and a horse place
Jason Schultz/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 18
Scherer said he has not contracted with any buyers, but he'd like to sell the rock to builders or to the state as base material for road projects or for repairs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs to make to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.

Plug hole in dike repair
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 19
With unprecedented water restrictions coming next month, some South Floridians may be praying for rain. Too much rain, however, could harm the weakened Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.

Letter: Is maintaining St. Lucie canal wise, environmentally responsible?
Val Martin letter to TCPalm/ Dec 18
Let’s convert the canal right of way to a nationally recognized environmental restoration project by dredging all of the nasty silt in the river back into the canal from whence it came, seal the spillway gates and use the lock only when necessary to mimic historic basin storm-water runoff so necessary in order to balance the river’s ecosystem.

Polk County to discuss supporting Kissimmee River task force
Amy Edwards/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 16
Polk County commissioners could join about a half-dozen conservation groups in asking Gov. Charlie Crist to form a task force to study the Kissimmee River watershed.

Lake Okeechobee isn't a one-use ecosystem
Thom Rumberger/ Tallahassee Democrat/ Dec 16
Much has been made of government's decision last summer to not pump phosphorous-rich water into Lake Okeechobee. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson claims that this one decision — which some claim will deprive growers of some irrigation water — makes up $4 million of the $1 billion in losses expected to Florida's farm economy. Further, sugarcane farmers argue that sugar production (and presumably profits) may fall by 20 percent.

Avatar agrees to put Poinciana homes on hold
Daphne Sashin/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 9
KISSIMMEE - South Florida developer Avatar Holdings has agreed to temporarily shelve plans for thousands of homes beside an Osceola wilderness preserve and negotiate a possible sale of the land for conservation.

Scientists want water managers to take a regional approach to cleaning up rivers north of the Everglades
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 2
Scientists want water going into South Florida checked and cleaned at its northern beginnings.

Drought's mixed bag for Lake Okeechobee
Byron Stout/ News-Press/ Nov 28 If the current drought were a move title, it would be "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

Kissimmee River flows toward its restoration
Daphne Sashin/ Orlando Sentinel/ Nov 25 A 13-year project looks to restore the stream of water to its original ecosystem of species.

Find the problem and fix it, say scientists about Lake Okeechobee
Andy Reid/ Sun Sentinel/ Nov 23 Clean up more of the dirty water pouring into Lake Okeechobee and find ways to better target a wider range of pollutants, a team of scientists told South Florida water managers in a report issued this month.

Editorial: Lake Okeechobee dike: Procrastination not an option
TCPalm editorial/ Nov 21 Latest report underscores ‘urgent, compelling’ need to repair Herbert Hoover Dike

Help for Lake Okeechobee Plan would reduce pollution from agricultural lands
Herald Tribune/ Nov 20 Lake Okeechobee suffers from a lack of rainfall over the past two years and, more than that, from agricultural pollution that has continued unabated for a century. The suffering extends to major Florida rivers and the Everglades.

Lake O plan open for comment; watering restrictions likely
Joel Moroney/ News-Press/ Nov 18 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened a final 30-day comment period on Friday for its plan to manage Lake Okeechobee at lower levels.

Florida Trail Association kicks off "Big O Hike" around Lake Okeechobee
Maria Hererra/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 18 Pahokee - The sun had not yet warmed the sugar cane fields that stretched across the horizon and a steady chilly breeze blew across Lake Okeechobee's vast surface.

Bradenton man takes off on nine-day hike
Herald Tribune/ Tom Becnel/ Nov 17 Opening day on The Big O draws 100 or even 200 hikers. After that it dwindles to the regulars.

Repair dike the right way
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Nov 10 Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released yet another study of the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The review, by independent experts whom the corps chose, agrees with previous studies: The 143-mile dike leaks and needs repairs. But the corps' plan to fix the dike, now considered a dam, has leaks of its own.

As Lake Okeechobee's level falls, more water curbs likely
Mike Clary/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 6 Already mired in drought, South Florida faces an annual dry season that promises to be even drier than normal, thanks to a cyclical Pacific Ocean phenomenon known as La Nina that scientists say is almost certain to lead to a historic low water level in Lake Okeechobee. One water official speculated that the water level could dip to 7 feet — almost 2 feet below the previous low.

Overhaul of water control structure set; Work under way at Nubbin Slough
News Zap/ Nov 1 Over the next few months, Okeechobee residents may notice large cranes atop the Herbert Hoover Dike at Nubbin Slough as the South Florida Water Management District’s Okeechobee Field Station performs major overhaul work on the S-191 water control structure.

Small bass declining in Lake Okeechobee
Orlando Sentinel/ Nov 1 Although big bass can be caught at Lake Okeechobee, the number of small bass in the lake has fisheries biologists worried.

Big Cypress

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Finding Florida's panthers
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Mar 9
Florida panthers are an endangered species, and Big Cypress researchers monitor 11 radio-collared cats in the preserve south of Interstate 75.

Bill would rescind county controls over limestone mining
Greg Martin/ Charlotte Sun-Herald/ Mar 8
The county's December zoning code, for the first time, prohibited mines within 1 mile of the Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal waterways, Charlotte Harbor or the Peace River west of Interstate 75. It also states that mining activities should not negatively impact other special resources, specifically including the Peace and Myakka rivers and Shell, Prairie and Alligator creeks.

Florida swamp walks reveal wild orchids
CNN/ Jennifer Kay/ Mar 5
IN THE FAKAHATCHEE STRAND, Florida (AP) -- We're barely out of our cars before the chorus starts: "I just want to see a ghost orchid!"

Contractor fined for disturbing prehistoric site in Picayune Strand
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Feb 28
A contractor has agreed to pay an $11,000 fine after crews disturbed an archaeological site during an environmental restoration project in rural Collier County.

Estero Bay makes Florida Forever A-list
Ryan Hiraki/ News-Press/ Feb 27
Estero Bay and sensitive Lee County wetlands Tuesday made a list of 21 projects targeted for conservation, before a cash shortage potentially ends a state land purchase program in two years.

Collier debate brews over town, panthers
Mary Wozniak/ News-Press/ Feb 24
A classic confrontation between the pressure for more development in Southwest Florida and the protection of the endangered Florida panther is brewing in the corridors of power in Collier County.

Panthers at heart of off-road dispute
Carol J Williams/ LA Times/ Feb 17
BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE, FLA. -- It has taken sweat, serendipity and five hours for Matthew Schwartz to find a single paw print of a Florida panther stamped in the swamp muck.

Health, water officials share facts about Marco sewer program
Joan Colfer, Jon Inglehart, and Clarence Tears/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 19
The Marco Island Septic Tank Replacement Program questions and answers:

Stormwater improvement gets boost from SFWMD
Leslie Williams/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 28
Latest $200,000 grant goes toward $600,000 in work

SFWMD appears on cusp of granting variance
Leslie Williams/ Naples Daily News/ Feb 12
Return to twice-weekly watering possible in April

Water district OKs twice-a-week watering for Marco
Daniel Winningham/ Marco Sun Times/ Feb 14
A governing board of the South Florida Water Management District approved a watering variance for Marco Island Thursday that means residents will be able to water twice a week beginning April 15.

Conservancy seeks support for I-75 culvert fight
Charlie Whitehead/ Naples Daily News/ Feb 9
A “Support the Conservancy” letter making the rounds in Estero is about legal standing more than legal funding, a Conservancy of Southwest Florida leader says.

Estero Bay report making waves among agencies
Charlie Whitehead/ Naples Daily News/ Feb 10
A report on wetlands destruction in the Estero Bay watershed is sending ripples through regulatory agencies.

Touring by foot and paddle
Susan Cocking/ Miami Herald/ Feb 10
''Big Cypress has the most unique hiking in the lower 48 because of the swamp slogging, then dwarf cypress forest, then you have a trail overlaying this unique environment,'' Molloy said. ``It should be more renowned and appreciated.''

Caloosahatchee River under microscope
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Feb 8
For the past few years, area residents, environmentalists, elected officials and the media have spread the word about the evils of land-based nutrients in the Caloosahatchee River and estuary.

Naples council spoils plans to add islands to bay
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 22
But council members don’t dismiss idea completely, as Naples’ natural resources manager agreed to look further into putting the islands in the southern part of Naples Bay

Estero Bay watershed lost 6.5 percent of wetlands in a year
Charlie Whitehead/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 26
A new Estero Bay watershed study shows a dismal environmental future if the way development permits are reviewed isn’t changed.

Southern Estates restoration stalls as budget decisions loom
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 27
A project to restore natural water flows through Southern Golden Gate Estates is in for a slow year in 2008 as money to pay for it dries up.

Collier keeps ATV ban on county roads in place
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 15

Panthers face hazards before adulthood
Andrea Stetson/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 12
It was a great year in 2007 for the Florida panther, despite a record breaking number of road-kill deaths.

$1.2M awarded for stormwater improvement projects in Collier
Naples Daily News/ Jan 10
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board and the Big Cypress Basin (BCB) Board recently authorized $1.2 million for two Collier County water improvement projects benefiting Dollar, Rookery and Naples bays.

Those here know Naples Bay cleanup must not slow down now
Naples Daily News editorial/ Jan 7
There is little sense of urgency to clean up Naples Bay. Rather than keeping up the progress and getting a plan in place as early as this year, the city of Naples ought to be given until 2013 to get serious.

New state report: Naples Bay cleanup can be delayed 5 years
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 5
Florida environmental regulators might not require any cleanup of Naples Bay until 2013, a new preliminary report shows.

AAUW members learn ‘nature knew best’ when it comes to water management
Kelly Farrell/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 5
Hecker also said that South Florida is cut off from fresh water entering from the North.

We need new approach to fertilizer
News-Press editorial/ Jan 3
It's always easier to demand change from others than to change our own way of doing things.

Fertilizer limits feed debate
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Jan 2
After years of nutrient-related algal blooms in Lee County waterways, the county is working on a fertilizer ordinance that doesn't sit well with many in the landscaping industry.

Authorities searching for rogue Everglades trailblazers
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Jan 1
The discovery of suspected illegal airboat paths north of Everglades City has authorities looking for the rogue trailblazers.

Naturalists predict more drought in ’08
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Jan 1
Rain, or lack thereof, should be a big environmental story in 2008.

Floridians, panthers keep bumping into one another
Nick Walter/ Bradenton Herald/ Dec 24
According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife news release, there has been an increase in human contact with Florida panthers.

A fluid situation in the Cape
Denise Scott/ News-Press/ Dec 28
Nearly 39,000 Cape Coral residents on the city’s dual water system face a new way of lawn watering if a variance on water restrictions is approved.

Water limits call for changes
Ryan Hiraki/ News-Press/ Dec 28
Adapting to a drought draining Lee County's water supply means adjusting the timing of sprinklers, looking at creative conservation methods and preparing for stricter enforcement.

Swamp Tour A Slip Back In Time
Thomas Becnel/ Tampa Bay Online/ Dec 27

Stormwater Upgrades Will Help Keep Naples Bay Clean
Environment News Service/ Dec 26
The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board has authorized $1.5 million for a city of Naples stormwater improvement project benefiting Naples Bay. The district funds are part of the total $7.7 million effort.

Southwest Florida restoration study: Five years late, costs $5 million more
Jeremy Cox/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 25
A map of the ecological restoration needs of Southwest Florida won’t emerge until the end of 2009, nearly five years past its original due date, a South Florida Water Management District official said.

SW Fla. programs fared well in Congress this year
News-Press/ Dec 24
WASHINGTON - Water restoration, transportation and environmental programs throughout Southwest Florida scored victories in Congress this year. The biggest win, however, went to the Everglades, which finally got the green light for restoration programs after a seven-year delay.

Conservation groups sue over reopening of Big Cypress trails
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 21
A dispute over off-road vehicle trails in the Big Cypress National Preserve took a turn back to court Friday.

Groups sue over Big Cypress trails
Sun Sentinel/ Dec 22

National Parks Conservation Association Says Big Cypress National Preserve Is Threatened By Damaging Off-Road Vehicle Use
Common Dreams/ Dec 21
After years of restoration, Park Service opens up sensitive lands and Florida panther habitat to more off-road vehicle use – conservationists take the agency to court

1.5 million awarded to Naples for stormwater improvement project
Naples Daily News/ Dec 21

New water-control device in Golden Gate will aid Naples Bay
Kelly Farrell/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 14
The Golden Gate canal no longer will “drown” the brackish waters of Naples Bay with floods of fresh water.

Report shows increase in human contact with Fla. panthers
Naples Daily News/ Dec 6

Winter kayak in the Everglades: Wildlife, mangroves, no mosquitos
William Kronholm/ Ft Wayne Journal Gazette/ Dec 9
So we bought repellant for a quick trip to view the swamp and its wildlife there last winter. But on a perfect day spent kayaking through the mangroves of Big Cypress National Preserve, we didn't even bother applying it.

Late director remembered at Conservancy symposium
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 6
Mark Benedict’s photo was hard to miss Thursday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida -- naturally.

In the Know Lee County: Well users subject to same water restrictions as rest of region
Karie Partington/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 6

Abandoned wells cost Lee County daily
Ryan Lengerich/ News-Press/Dec 1
Every day, half-century-old abandoned wells in Lee County waste or contaminate as much water as it would take for every person in the county to shower.

Sensitive southeast land off-limits to growth
Ryan Lengerich/ News-Press/ Dec 6
No new zoning or growth plan applications will be considered in 83,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land in southeast Lee County.

DR/GR area vital to Lee’s future
News-Press editorial/ Dec 6
Lee County has drawn a line in the gravel in a sprawling water resource area in south county, halting new mining, zoning and growth-plan changes until a vital and long-overdue study of the area can be completed.

Pearls Before Pigs
Calvin Godfrey/ Miami New Times/ Dec 6
A haywire hunting trip in the Everglades for an elusive oinker.

Marco to request variance from beefed up water restrictions
Leslie Williams/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 4
Officials hope to draw from 1 billion gallons in stored water to avoid Phase III restrictions

At home in the wild
Chad Gillis/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 28Jeff Ripple steps over a basketball-sized clump of prairie grass, splashes a weathered brown and black hiking boot down and quickly jumps backward to avoid whatever he just spooked — something that’s now streaking through the shallow waters.

Let off-roaders into Big Cypress
News-Press opinion/ Nov 27Swamp buggies are a tradition in the Big Cypress National Preserve. With proper regulation, they belong there.

Range of efforts necessary to protect Florida panther
Paul Souza guest commentary/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 24The Daily News’ recent three-part series on the Florida panther brought much-needed attention to the plight of this endangered species. The series rightly underscored a fundamental theme: recovering the panther is one of the most significant conservation challenges in the United States today. Major threats include habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation; the reduced genetic diversity that regularly plagues small populations; the potential for disease outbreaks such as feline leukemia; and vehicular collisions on South Florida’s road network.

ORVs cause dust-up in Big Cypress
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Nov 22BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE — From 350 feet above the Bear Island Unit of this preserve, ruts from decades of off-road vehicle use looked like healing wounds on brown hide.

Expect long, dry winter
John Haughy/ Sun Herald/ Nov 13The authority can now extract water as long as the river is flowing faster than 90 cubic feet per second; the previous bar was 130 cfs, Coates said.

Peace River Panel Goal Is to Lessen Damage
Tom Palmer/ The Ledger/ Nov 11BARTOW Polk County Commission Chairman Bob English and Winter Haven environmentalist Marian Ryan are among those who will serve on a proposed 25-member Peace River Basin Management Advisory Committee.

Squeezing minimum flows on Peace River
Tom Palmer/ The Ledger/ Nov 8Today they are 140 cubic feet per second, most of it composed of the 110 cfs at the river gauge. This is above the 90 cfs that allows the reservoir pumps to continue to withdraw and store 10 percent of the river flow.

Peace River water is on the verge of being too low to use for drinking
Kate Spinner/ Herald Tribune/ Nov 10Drinking water supplies remain precariously low for the tens of thousands of Southwest Floridians relying on the Peace River to keep their faucets flowing.

Planned Collier ATV park hits another snag
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 1A wildlife survey last month found a nest of a crested caracara, a threatened falcon-like bird, triggering a closer look by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and possible restrictions on where all-terrain vehicles would be allowed to ride at the park.

Without significant rainfall, next brush fire season sure to be more intense
Ryan Mills/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 3Flames danced from tree to tree as wildfires raged over 400,000 acres, burning down forests and consuming urban areas.

Coastal Waters

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Ferrtilizer expert speaks to clubs about the new rules
Zac Anderson/ Herald-Tribune/ Mar 9
It prohibits residents from applying fertilizers that contain nitrogen or phosphorus between June 1 and Sept. 30.

Researchers scour preserve for Big Cypress fox squirrel
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Mar 1
BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE — Bitten by mosquitoes, baked by the heat and scratched by greenbrier thorns, researchers waded through knee-deep water and struggled through thick vegetation this week in search of the elusive Big Cypress fox squirrel.

Don't dump sewage in ocean
SARA FAIN/letter to Miami Herald/ Feb 29

Land buy to improve Indian River Lagoon
Jim Waymer/ Florida Today/ Feb 28
South Florida water managers announced this morning the purchase of 553 acres in west Martin County to help improve the Indian River Lagoon’s water quality.

North Florida Spotted Seatrout and Gulf Snook Seasons Reopen March 1
Wakulla.com/ Feb 28

Worst stretch for hurricanes? 1920s, '30s
Eliot Kleinberg/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 22
A new report ranks 1926-35 as the costliest, translating historical dollars to today's and figuring in the coast's staggering growth.

La Niña Conditions Strengthen, Expected To Continue
Science Daily/ Feb 17
The current La Niña event, characterized by a cooling of the sea surface in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific, has strengthened slightly in recent months and is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2008, with a likelihood of persisting through to the middle of the year.

2007 Hurricane Season Starts Early, Ends Late
Science Daily/ Feb 15
The Atlantic Hurricane Season began early in 2007, and by mid-December it was still going. The season officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. That means that for the most part, storms have formed and fizzled between those dates, or they used to.

Oceans Eyed As New Energy Source
Briank Skoloff/ Feb 15
DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Just 15 miles off Florida's coast, the world's most powerful sustained ocean current — the mighty Gulf Stream — rushes by at nearly 8.5 billion gallons per second. And it never stops.

Hurricane study whips up a storm
Catherine Brahic/ Reuters/ Jan 28
Rising ocean temperatures linked to global warming could decrease the number of hurricanes hitting the United States, say researchers. But their findings have been questioned by some at a recent meteorology conference.

Local red tides feast on pollution from afar
Kate Spinner/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune/ Feb 9
Pollution from near and far is making algae blooms more abundant in coastal waters from Naples to Tampa, according to two scientists who spoke to a crowd of about 200 at Suncoast Auditorium on Friday.

Snook season reopens only on Atlantic coast, Lake O
Naples Daily News/ Feb 1

UMass researchers dig for clues about health of St. Lucie River
Gabriel Margasak/ TCPalm/ Jan 31
STUART — There's a mystery at the bottom of the St. Lucie River that may hold a key to its ultimate restoration.

Convert St. Lucie Canal to right 80-year-old wrong
Palm Beach Post letter/ Jan 30
And perhaps the time has come to ask: In the overall scheme of daily life, is the cost of maintaining the canal, its use 95 percent recreational, really wise and environmentally responsible?

Turn tide on Florida pollution
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Jan 23
Red tide makes people cough and sneeze, and kills fish, dolphins and manatees. Once rare on the Florida's east coast, it appeared again during the holidays, for the third time since 2002.

Red tide, watercraft contribute to 317 manatee deaths
Nick Walter/ Bradenton Herald/ Jan 7
A preliminary report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission indicates that there were 317 manatee deaths in state waters in 2007, according to an FWC news release.

Red tide reporting system spreads
Jim Waymer/ Florida Today/ Jan 10
Five Gulf Coast counties have something Brevard beachgoers yearned for during the past two months: near real-time red tide reports.

Manatee Mortality Data, Disaster Engineering and Thoughts on Depopulation
Georgianna Nienaber/ OpEdNews/ Jan 7
A preliminary report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released January 7, 2008 says there were 317 manatee deaths in state waters in 2007. The total number of carcasses documented last year falls below the five-year average of 355.

Florida manatee deaths drop in 2007
Naples Daily News/ Jan 7
In 2007, 317 manatees died in Florida waters, according to a preliminary report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Conservation (FWC). This number is 100 deaths less than 2006 results and also less than the five-year average of 355 manatee deaths a year.

Sperm whale euthanized
Aaron Sharokman/ St Pete Times/ Jan 2
ST. PETE BEACH -- An endangered adolescent sperm whale found floating in the coastal waters off Pinellas County was put to death Tuesday after biologists concluded the 15-ton mammal could not be saved.

Red tide claims manatees
Jim Waymer/ Florida Today/ Dec 29
Two sea cows confirmed as victims of algae bloom; five being tested

Places to see manatees when winter chills our waterways
Byron Stout/ Gulf Coast Living/ Dec 27
If you don’t think winter comes to Southwest Florida, just ask a manatee. When water temperatures drop below 66 degrees, these Florida natives can freeze to death.

Protecting manatees shows that balancing act is possible
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 25

Restoration of Indian River Lagoon moves forward with land acquisition in St. Lucie
TC Palm/ Dec 20
Restoration of the Indian River Lagoon moved another step forward, according to the South Florida Water Management District, as the district’s governing board approved a 1,772-acre land acquisition in St. Lucie County.

A welcome reprieve for Florida’s endangered manatees
David Guest/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 15

Our favorite snowbird, the manatee
Amy Williams/ News-Press/ Dec 16
Manatees have long been at the center of a fierce debate pitting conservationists against boaters, with each side questioning the other's motives.

Manatees Retain Endangered Status
New York Times/ Dec 6

Naples officials to hold public hearing on dredging permit dispute
Eric Staats/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 5
The Naples City Council put off a decision Wednesday about how to handle a Naples Bay dredging controversy that has the city caught in a legal tangle.

Saving Barnes Sound
Miami Herald letters/ Dec 6
This breaks my heart. As a boy with my dad, I fished and swam in a beautiful and productive Barnes Sound. Now it is dead.

Manatees to stay on Florida's endangered species list
Julio Ochoa/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 5
Manatees will remain on Florida's endangered species list -- for now.

La Nina Pattern May Last Until Autumn, Australian Bureau Says
Madelene Pearson/ Bloomberg/ Dec 3
-- La Nina weather conditions, the pattern associated with above-average rain in Australia, has intensified and may last until the southern hemisphere autumn, the nation's weather forecaster said.

Snook seasons close in December
Naples Daily News/ Nov 28

Red Tide Prediction Center in the Works
Florida Sportsman/ Nov 14The FWC and USF team up to announce the establishment of a Center for Prediction of Red Tides in St. Petersburg

Water district agrees to spend $37 million to buy land for water treatment facility
Naples Daily News/ Nov 15The South Florida Water Management District approved an agreement with Lee County to buy a $37 million property along the Caloosahatchee River for a water treatment facility.

Clear win for Caloosahatchee River
Joel Moroney/ News-Press/ Nov 16State and local officials finalized a $37 million purchase of 1,770 acres of citrus fields in rural Glades County on Thursday for construction of a $150 million facility to treat Lake Okeechobee water before it’s released into the Caloosahatchee River.

Katrina, Rita Caused Forestry Disaster
Marc Kaufman/ Washington Post/ Nov 16New satellite imaging has revealed that hurricanes Katrina and Rita produced the largest single forestry disaster on record in the nation -- an essentially unreported ecological catastrophe that killed or severely damaged about 320 million trees in Mississippiand Louisiana.

Rivers Coalition: Making Army Corps pay is only way to end damaging discharges
Gabriel Margasak/ TCPalm/ Nov 9But today, one year after filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop the discharges, a band of waterfront homeowners and environmentalists known as the Rivers Coalition say they've accomplished the key goal of public awareness even before a trial begins.

Glades count may shed light on manatees' future
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Nov 3''The Everglades region is the black hole. This is really the area where we don't understand manatees,'' said James Reid, a United States Geological Survey biologist.

Wind Changes Spur Florida Red Tide
Randolph Schmid/ Washington Post/ Nov 7WASHINGTON -- Harmful red tide blooms along Florida's west coast in the fall are spurred when seasonal changes in wind patterns move nutrients east from the Mississippi River, scientists reported Wednesday.

Study: Miss. River can influence local red tide
Kevin Lollar/ News-Press/ Nov 7A combination of wind and nutrients from the Mississippi River can cause red tide blooms off the Southwest Florida coast, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Water Supply

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Water district variance due to city's storage system
Daniel Winningham/ Marco Island Sun Times/ Feb 21
"The most important thing is that Marco is utilizing alternative water sources," said Clarence Tears, Big Cypress Basin director for the South Florida Water Management District. "(The governing) board has been really supportive of local cities and counties that focus on alternative water sources."

Thursday rainfall broke West Palm Beach record
Jerome Burdi/Palm Beach Post/Mar 7
The National Weather Service in Miami recorded 2.91 inches in West Palm Beach, more than double the former record of 1.10 inches set on the same date set in 1954, meteorologist Chuck Caracozza said.

Florida drought persists despite rainfall
United Press International/ Mar 5
Lake Okeechobee, which is a main water backup for more than 5 million people, and the Kissimmee River basin, which replenishes the lake, are experiencing a two-year rain shortage in excess of 25 inches, the report said.

Recent rains aren't enough to cure drought
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Mar 5
A steady string of storms over the last month have kept lawns looking green, and more rain is expected this week. But don't think South Florida's water shortage is going away any time soon.

Martin County to seek variance from watering restrictions
George Andreassi/ TCPalm/ Mar 4
STUART — With groundwater levels in Martin County above average and a new reverse osmosis water treatment plant set to open in April, several county commissioners said Tuesday they asked South Florida water managers to consider scaling back restrictions limiting lawn watering to once a week.

County chief asks water managers to ease eastern restrictions; district says it's too soon
Jennifer Sorentrue and Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 26
Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman has asked water managers to consider loosening water restrictions for residents in the eastern part of the county.

Drought just tip of water problems
Nathan Crabbe/ Gainesville Sun/ Feb 28
Lingering drought has made headlines as Southeastern cities grapple with looming water shortages. But speakers at a University of Florida water symposium Wednesday said drought is just the most visible of emerging water-related problems that include the increasing intensity of red tide, water-borne diseases contaminating food, and pollutants in our lakes and springs that harm reproductive function.

Recent rains prompt official to call for looser water limits
Jennifer Sorentrue and Robert P King/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 24
Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman asked regional water managers Tuesday to consider loosening water restrictions for residents in the eastern part of the county.

Drought's Consumer Cost Likely To Crop Up Soon
NEIL JOHNSON/ Tampa Tribune/

Rains help, but S. Fla. drought's not over
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Feb 14
The heaviest rains since last June have replenished parched South Florida, filling canals and Everglades marshes and reversing the steady decline of water levels in Lake Okeechobee.

Wet week puts S. Fla. on track for above normal February
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/Feb 14
A wet week put South Florida on track for above normal rainfall in February, but water managers warn that the outlook for regional supplies remains a concern and watering restrictions are still in place.

Are we all in a drought? Really?
Bob King/ Palm Beach Post/ Feb 12
Does it make sense to impose the harshest water restrictions in history when some communities’ wells, lakes and canals are full?

Martin commissioners want water managers to explain why county under restrictions
George Andreassi/ TCPalm/ Feb 12
STUART — Martin County Commissioner Michael DiTerlizzi wants to meet with officials from the South Florida Water Management District to discuss whether Martin County should be subjected to water restrictions.

Water Shortages Endanger Florida Agriculture
Heather Nedley/ Tampa Bay Online/ Feb 11
The health of the state's economy is at stake if the agriculture industry continues to be threatened by one of the most severe droughts in history. Additionally, industry and high growth rates continue to create increased demand for water.

Drought Worse in South Florida
Bill Blair/ The Ledger/ Feb 5
In South Florida, it ranges from 562 at Myakka River to 598 at Caloochatchee. The index ranges from a soggy zero to a bone-dry 800.

Links to feel pain of water restrictions
Rachel Myers/ News-Press/ Jan 27

Water-rich utility wants limits lifted
Tony Doris/ Palm Beach Post/ Jan 27
There is no drought. Not here, in northern Palm Beach County.

Strong leaders needed in Tallahassee to resolve water shortage issue
Steve Waters/ Sun-Sentinel/ Jan 28
Like most South Floridians, I read with concern the reports from Water Management and the media about the severe shortages in our water supply. Almost daily, we have seen pictures of Lake Okeechobee and its low water levels indicating the water shortages we are and will surely experience in the year(s) ahead.

drought dilemma
Evan Williams/ Florida Weekly/ Jan 24
Drip, drip, drip. That's the sound of Southwest Florida's dwindling water supply being wasted as an ongoing drought persists in the region and the need to conserve becomes even more immediate.

County to Pursue New Water Sources
Tom Palmer/ The Ledger/ Jan 22
Polk County officials want to develop new water sources and to prevent other government agencies from sucking some of those new water sources out from under them before they get a chance to tap them.

Letter: It is a lie to call our problem a 'drought'
TCPalm letter/ Jan 22
Most native Floridians in this area recognize that the past two years have not been anything exceptional when it comes to precipitation.

Tough water rules begin today for Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties
Andy Reid/ Sun Sentinel/ Jan 15

Water restrictions begin Tuesday
Adam Beasley/ Miami Herald/ Jan 14
The strictest water restrictions in history are a day away from reality.

No more warnings, folks
Sun Sentinel editorial/ Jan 15

South Florida's tougher new water restrictions will start Tuesday
Andy Reid/ Sun Sentinel/ Jan 14
Once-a-week watering limits beginning Tuesday are intended to trigger what regulators call a "change in culture" needed to protect South Florida's water supply.

Raw water worries
Daytona Beach Journal editorial/ Jan 21
Wary of risks in haste to injection wells

Daytona drilling test wells for water storage
John Bozzo/ Daytona Beach Journal/ Jan 12
Workers began drilling Friday under the shade of the pristine trees in Tuscawilla Park, intending to go 1,000 feet deep in search of a place to store the water the city may later need.

Water restrictions for portion of north central Florida approved
Florida Times-Union/ Jan 8
Residents in the Suwannee River Water Management District will soon be under new water restrictions.

Every drop counts now
News-Press editorial/ Jan 10
When new state watering restrictions go into effect Tuesday, Lee county residents and business owners need to take them seriously.

Recent rain not enough to offset need for water restrictions
Gabriel Margasak/ TCPalm/ Jan 9
It seemed like a pretty wet year in the most populous parts of the Treasure Coast, which might leave some residents scratching their heads about new watering restrictions about to take effect.

South Florida Records Two Driest Back-to-Back Years
Environment News Service/ Jan 8
The past two years have been the driest back-to-back calendar years in South Florida since rainfall recordkeeping began in 1932, meteorologists at the South Florida Water Management District confirmed today.

No sign of Florida drought easing soon
Orlando Sentinel/ Jan 6

It's awfully dry outside, save water
Ocala News Opinion/ Jan 6
Or we could follow the example of the South Florida Water Management District - don't think they are that far away; their authority extends to Orlando - and have the state do it for us. Last month, state water managers imposed the toughest watering regulations in Florida to deal with their demand for increasingly scarce water.

Mine site water project a harbinger for future
Charlotte Sun Herald/ Jan 6
A phosphate mining company's plan to turn a portion of a mine site into a water supply resource in Hardee County fits neatly within the Southwest Florida Management District's long-standing strategy calling for more reservoirs in the Peace River watershed to meet future water demands.

South Florida growers struggling with water shortage
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Jan 4
U.S. Sugar says cane loss could be 10-20%, citrus fruit is smaller, and vegetable farmers are planting less

Desalination plants a solution to South Florida's water shortage
Sun-Sentinel editorial/ Dec 30
There have recently been a number of news article about Lake Okeechobee and its current drying condition. Years ago a proposal was made to pump water into deep storage, and that apparently never flew.

Across Florida, drought appears here to stay
Kevin Spear/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 31
Drought here to stay

Water shortage order extended
Lester Daley/ Clearwater Citizen/ Dec 26
The Southwest Florida Water Management District has extended its severe water shortage order through June 30, 2008. The order went into effect on Jan. 16, 2007 and has been extended twice since then.

Placing blame for water shortage isn't the path to a solution
Sun Sentinel editorial/ Dec 23
Forty-five percent of our water is used for irrigating our beautiful landscapes, specifically our lawns. The South Florida Water Management District is imposing Phase III restrictions soon. It's about time. In fact, they are about six weeks late.

Be clear on water rules
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 22
Last week, the South Florida Water Management District declared a drought emergency throughout its 16 counties and imposed tougher restrictions, starting next month.

Winter Forecast Shows Little Drought Relief for Southeast
Environment News Service/ Dec 20

Phase 3 water restrictions, and long-term conservation strategies, a must
Sun-Sentinel editorial/ Dec 13
Surrounded by water, South Floridians remain all too complacent and blissful in the face of what remains a severe drought. Water management officials are right to call for an upgrade in restrictions, and to begin an all-out campaign to convince the public to use less water — much less.

Toughest Water Restrictions Yet in Pipeline
Curtis Morgan/ Miami Herald/ Dec 13

Our position: Water managers haven't done near enough to push conservation
Orlando Sentinel editorial/ Dec 14

South Florida water managers enact restrictions
Daphne Sashin/ Dec 14

Lee gears to enforce new rules for water
Ryan Hiraki/ News-Press/ Dec 14

Proposed water limits draw opposition in Orange, Osceola counties
Daphne Sashin/ Orlando Sentinel/ Dec 13
South Florida water managers, grappling with what's shaping up to be a record drought, are expected today to enact severe outdoor water restrictions that could ban lawn watering on all but one day a week for parts of Central Florida.

Tougher water-use restrictions would cover South Florida north to Orlando
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Dec 13
In a history-making response to a record water shortage, state regulators today are expected to impose once-a-week watering limits on homes and businesses from Orlando to the Keys.

Water restrictions a ‘ruse,’ ex-lawmaker says
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 13
But others, including some residents in St. Lucie County, say the water managers are acting like the teacher who makes the entire class miss recess because one kid allegedly made a hammer out of Play-Doh and used it to smash some other kid’s checkers board.

Tighter water restrictions to be considered
Robert King/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 12
The proposal also would shift watering from the weekends to weekdays: Watering would be allowed on Mondays for homes at odd-numbered addresses and on Thursdays for even-numbered addresses.

Letter: 'Drought' articles are form of brainwashing
TC Palm/ Dec 12
I just read the article titled, “Water” (Dec. 5), which followed an Nov. 7 article titled, “Drought projections could mean once-a-week watering restrictions.” A few weeks before there was a similar “drought” article.

Naples City Council approves higher water rates
Jenna Buzzacco/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 5
Naples residents will see an increase in their bimonthly water bills by the new year.

As water outlook worsens, officials urge conservation
Tim O'Meilia/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 5
WEST PALM BEACH — South Florida uses more water per person than any other region of the state - 179 gallons a day - and the state will need 20 billion gallons of water per day more by 2025.

Get ready to be soaked in water conservation commercials
Julio Ochoa/ Naples Daily News/ Dec 4
Brace yourself for an onslaught of public service announcements about water conservation.

One new water idea: Pay more, but use less
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Dec 4
South Floridians may be tired of talking about saving water. Too bad. The South Florida Water Management District keeps the conversational ball rolling with a second water "summit" today in West Palm Beach, seeking ways to cope with prolonged drought.

Managers seek long-term fix for water gluttony
Tim O'Meila/ Palm Beach Post/ Dec 2
The South Florida Water Management District will hold a daylong water summit beginning at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to listen to experts from as far as California and Utah and as close as Sarasota County, where per-person water use dropped 26 percent in five years.

Possible watering restrictions spark enforcement concerns
Ryan Hiraki/ News-Press/ Nov 28The fairest way to allow South Florida residents to water their lawns and the easiest means of enforcement worry local officials as the state creates a new policy.

Managing Florida's water a balancing act
Rachel Myers/ News-Press/ Nov 27"We know whatever decision we make is going to impact tomorrow," Susan Sylvester, director of the district's operations control department. "There's always going to be a ripple effect."

States struggle for answers to water demands
Bruce Ritchie/ Tallahassee Democrat/ Nov 26BUFORD, Ga. — Lake Sidney Lanier is a big, deep reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. So when it drains, it can be slow to refill without a lot of rain.

Join the water conservation summit
TCPalm/ Nov 26

Dry spell could lead to pinch on use of water
Daphne Sashin/ Orlando Sentinel/ Nov 21KISSIMMEE - Households in parts of Osceola, Orange and Polk may soon be restricted to watering their lawns only once a week to conserve for a third year of drier-than-normal conditions.

Scarcity of drinking water may curb growth in Delray
Maria Hererra/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 19Delray Beach - This city could stop growing. Not because it ran out of land, but — like many other South Florida cities — it is running out of water.

Conserve water? Us? No way!
Bob King/ Palm Beach Post/ Nov 17You might have seen this disappointing news from drought-stricken North Carolina: The governor asked people to conserve water, and within a few weeks they’d cut their consumption by nearly 30 percent from what it was in August.

A little less drain on Lanier
Stacey Shelton/ Atlanta Journal Constitution/ Nov 17With metro Atlanta facing its worst water crisis, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday agreed to a plan to reduce the water flowing out of Lake Lanier to Florida, keeping more for drinking supplies here.

Miami-Dade County to Rely on Recycled Water
Environmental News Service/ Nov 15MIAMI, Florida, November 15, 2007 (ENS) - The South Florida Water Management District today renewed the largest public water supply permit in the state - the water use permit for Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department.

Water chief urges tighter limits on usage
Tony Doris/ Palm Beach Post/ Nov 15KEY LARGO — Water district managers painted an ever-grimmer portrait of the region's drought Wednesday, recommending stiffer restrictions on residential water use and a series of actions to make the most of a system that has plumbed record-low water levels for 155 days in a row.

South Florida water managers to decide on restrictions in December
Andy Reid/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 14South Florida water managers agreed Wednesday to decide in December whether to impose once-a-week-yard-watering limits from Orlando to the Keys.

Dade water bills to rise under new deal
Curtis Morgan and Charles Rabin/ Miami Herald/ Nov 15Despite a regional water crisis, Miami-Dade County is about to get all it needs to supply suburban growth over the next two decades.

Diversification key to water supply
Charlotte Sun-Herald/ Nov 15Much of the 2.4 trillion gallons of freshwater Floridians use annually is drawn from the Floridian Aquifer, a porous limestone formation that traps groundwater.

Water crisis draws nearer
Rachel Myers/ News-Press/ Nov 15Threatening to carve even deeper into the water supply of thousands of homes, a long, looming drought season prompted discussion Wednesday about once-a-week watering restrictions throughout Southwest Florida.

Stricter water restrictions on the way
Naples Daily News/ Nov 15Southwest Florida will see stricter water restrictions in the coming weeks.

Tougher lawn watering rules may be on the way
Tony Doris/ Palm Beach Post/ Nov 14KEY LARGO — Water district managers painted an ever-grimmer portrait of the region's drought this afternoon, recommending stiffer restrictions on residential water use and a series of actions to make the most of a system that has plumbed record low water levels for 155 days in a row.

La Niña will bring a warmer winter
Julio Ochoa/ Naples Daily News/ Nov 12Don’t get too used to the cooler temperatures the first couple weeks of November brought.

EDITORIAL: The water war, a week later: Good, bad and ugly
Trading Markets/ Nov 13The very bad: The deal is collapsing.

Soil-moisture sensors may produce big water savings for homeowners, UF study shows
University of Florida/ Nov 13GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Soil-moisture sensors hooked to sprinkler systems could put a huge dent in homeowners’ utility bills—and help conserve much-needed water, a new University of Florida study says.

Florida Reconsiders Water Deal with Georgia
Environment News Service/ Nov 12TALLAHASSEE, Florida, November 12, 2007 (ENS) - Florida is cooling off on a water sharing agreement Governor Charlie Crist made earlier this month that would allow Georgia to retain millions of gallons of water to ease a potential drinking water shortage in the upstream state.

Atlanta thirst endangers Florida oyster harvest
Orlando Sentinel/ Nov 4For nearly two decades, Florida, Georgia and Alabama have bickered over how to share an increasingly precious natural resource. All three states dip into water flowing from the Blue Ridge Mountains down the Chattahoochee River past Atlanta suburbs into the Apalachicola River and to Apalachicola Bay.

Tighter water restrictions for South Florida are a no-brainer, given the crisis
Sun-Sentinel editorial/ Nov 12Once-a-week water limits may be back.

Learn to use less water
Palm Beach Post editorial/ Nov 10For people living anywhere near the coast, it was a normal - even above-normal - rainy season. Yet this week the South Florida Water Management District warned that the area remains in a serious and severe drought. Really?

Florida to face tight water restrictions after another lean year
Brian Skoloff/ Sun-Sentinel/ Nov 6With below average rainfall for a second straight year, and drought predicted to continue, South Florida water managers are warning residents to brace for severe shortages as the seven-month dry season begins.