SWUCA Minimum Flows and Levels Update

     On January 10, 2002, the Governing Board will have a special workshop on establishing minimum flows and levels in the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA). Staff will discuss the methodological approaches to establishing minimum flows and levels for the Upper Peace River, Lakes Eagle, McLeod, Wales and Clinch in Polk County, Lakes Lotela, Letta and Jackson in Highlands County and the Upper Floridan Aquifer to address salt water intrusion along the coast. Staff will also discuss recovery strategy concepts. It is anticipated that the Board will initiate rulemaking on these minimum flows and levels and recovery strategies at its January 29, 2002 Board meeting.

New Year Round Water Conservation Measures

     The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board began discussions November 27, 2001, on the rules governing year-round conservation measures and a water shortage plan.

     Due to limited water resources, the Board is considering strengthening its year-round conservation measures to ensure that water conservation is a part of everyday water use and not practiced only during a severe drought. The existing year-round conservation measures have been in place since 1984 and primarily ban watering between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Two-day per week lawn irrigation restrictions, which the Board is considering adopting as year-round measures, have been in effect Districtwide as part of water shortage orders since 1992 with the exception of recent temporary one-day restrictions to address the drought. The water shortage plan is designed to provide extraordinary steps during drought conditions.

     The year-round measures will serve as a baseline for conservation. Any future water shortage or emergency water shortage restrictions declared through the District’s water shortage rules or orders would be in addition to these year-round measures. The District will continue to require additional water conservation by all water users, including public supply, industry, agriculture and golf courses, through their water use permits.

     Last month, the District’s Governing Board rescinded emergency water restrictions for most of the District. These emergency restrictions were put in place last year during the most severe stage of a three-year drought. As mentioned earlier, under a Governing Board water shortage order, the District currently allows two-day-a-week watering in its 16-county region, except in certain portions of Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties where one-day-per-week watering restrictions remain because of the lingering drought effects on lakes and wetlands near Tampa Bay Water’s wellfields. However, some local governments have chosen to continue stricter regulations.

     The District expects to have the first round of year-round conservation measures in place by early next spring, and the updated water shortage rules and additional year-round conservation measures in place by September 2002.

Governing Board Takes Action on Water Restrictions

     The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board acted in October on two drought-related orders – modifying the one-day watering restrictions order and rescinding the Tampa Bay Water emergency order.

Watering Restrictions
     Although the regional water resources have not consistently achieved pre-drought conditions, they have recovered sufficiently in many parts of the District for the Governing Board to allow residents to resume a two-day-per-week outdoor irrigation schedule. Local governments may have more restrictive irrigation policies than the District.

     Also, during these cool fall and winter months when plants are growing more slowly, proper one-day-a-week watering should be sufficient for most landscaping. In those areas where watering two days per week is now allowed, residents were strongly urged not to resume the two-day schedule if their landscaping doesn’t truly need the irrigation. Low volume irrigation for non-turf areas is not restricted. Low volume irrigation is very efficient and beneficial for a high quality plant growth.

     However, a water shortage continues to exist at the Tampa Bay Water Consolidated Permit Wellfields. Lakes and wetlands in the areas affected by the drought at the Consolidated Permit Wellfields have been, and continue to be, impacted by reduced water levels. The primary cause of reduced water levels in these lakes and wetlands is the combination of withdrawals of water from the Consolidated Permit Wellfields and the lingering effects of an exceptionally severe drought. Accordingly, the District must continue water shortage measures applying to specific water users.

     Any water users receiving water from the Tampa Bay Water Consolidated Permit Wellfields will continue to be subject to one-day watering restrictions. These restrictions shall continue to be in effect until the District determines that hydrologic conditions have recovered sufficiently to remove these emergency measures.

     All other areas in the District may return to a two-day-per-week irrigation schedule. Local governments may have more restrictive irrigation policies than the District, so actual restrictions may vary.

     The watering restrictions emergency order was originally passed by the Governing Board in April 2000 to address the impacts from the drought. These restrictions included reducing landscape irrigation to one day per week, along with additional restrictions on all water users including agriculture and golf courses.

Tampa Bay Water Emergency Order
     The emergency conditions which prompted the passage of the Tampa Bay Water Emergency Order in March no longer exist, leading the Governing Board to rescind the order.

     The order was originally approved to address a public health and safety emergency in Tampa which resulted in Tampa Bay Water’s exceedance of its permitted quantities in the central wellfield system. A record-setting drought had reduced the Hillsborough River, which serves as the main water supply for Tampa, to a trickle. The city was forced into purchasing additional water from Tampa Bay Water. This additional demand helped push withdrawal quantities above permitted limits over a three- to four-month period earlier this year.

     Due to a good rainy season and Tropical Storm Gabrielle, the river flows have recovered and are meeting Tampa’s water supply needs. In turn, Tampa has reduced the amount of water it’s purchasing from Tampa Bay Water’s stressed wellfields and the Tampa Bay Water central wellfield system is again within its permitted pumping limit. With Tampa no longer facing an emergency, there is no justification for the District to retain the emergency order.

     However, the District encourages local governments to continue developing and implementing programs begun under the emergency order to conserve water. In response to the order, Tampa Bay area governments have taken many positive steps toward increasing water use efficiencies, including developing ordinances that promote water-wise landscapes, developing water-conserving rate structures that charge heavy users a higher rate for water, and seeking ways to maximize use of reclaimed water.