2008 Hurricane Season May Bring Beneficial Rains to Everglades
by Ellen Underwood (BPRW)
While hurricanes and other tropical disturbances are unwanted due to their damaging rain, wind and flood waters, they can provide beneficial effects to the natural environment. Florida’s ecosystem, in fact, has developed over thousands of years to respond to hurricanes, as well as droughts.
For the past two years, the state of Florida has experienced one of the worst droughts on record. At times, rainfall has been 50 percent of normal – averaging less than 40 inches for this usually wet, sub-tropical state. Everyone in Florida is affected by a drought, including the state’s minority communities, many of whom are in industries dependent on a fresh water supply, such as landscaping, recreation, tourism and many other businesses that are essential to the state’s economy.
These past two spring seasons, the drought’s effects became noticeable. Wildfires darkened Florida’s skies, lawns turned brown, and residents started to experience often-harsh water restrictions.
Lake Okeechobee, about 75 miles south of Orlando and the second-largest freshwater lake in the contiguous 48 states, reached its lowest level ever recorded on July 2, 2007 and has been a concern to environmentalists and citizens alike since. In May 2008, the lake remained at 3-1/2 feet below normal. Brushfires started in early May in dry areas of the lake shoreline were fueled by parched vegetation.
Should the drought continue, Florida’s 2 million Everglades wetlands will be affected in many ways, including serious harm to its native plants and animals.
“There is no joy over this record-breaking event,” said Carol Ann Wehle in 2007, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District. “As these extreme weather conditions continue, we are focused on the challenges ahead to best protect drinking water supplies, meet agricultural needs and safeguard our natural resources.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, partners with the South Florida Water Management District to operate one of the world’s largest water management systems. The Central and South Florida Project includes more than 1,700 miles of canals and levees to safely route water throughout the 16-county central and south Florida area. However, it only can route that which is provided by Mother Nature. In droughts, all residents of Florida – human, plant and animal – are affected. In 2008, the water management district was considering year-round water restrictions to help manage the limited fresh water supply.
Over the next six months, as the Atlantic hurricane season progresses, while no one wants the damaging effects of a hurricane or tropical storm, the 10 to 20 inches of rain a tropical event may bring can provide welcome relief to Florida’s lingering drought.
A long-term form of assistance to the Everglades and south Florida’s water supplies will be the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan – CERP – which is a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District. The Everglades Restoration Plan will include the construction of above and underground water storage reservoirs. When complete, excess fresh water will be captured during times of high rainfall, stored, treated, and released to the natural and human systems for use in drier times.
In the meantime, maybe a good drenching from a tropical storm in 2008 will provide needed assistance to Florida’s water supplies.
For more information on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, visit www.evergladesplan.org or call 1-877-CERP-USA.
