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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.
Water Supply
