Extreme Water Shortage Declared – Phase III Restrictions Upcoming in January

In response to dwindling water supplies across south Florida, the South Florida Water Management District governing board has voted to implement Phase III water-use restrictions across the sixteen counties within its jurisdiction. These restrictions will become effective on January 15, 2008.

Under the modified Phase III restrictions, Agriculture must comply with the following:

• Overhead irrigation is prohibited from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. daily.
• The hours for low volume irrigation, such as drip and microjet irrigation, are not restricted.
• Overhead irrigation for field grown citrus nursery stock moisture stress reduction is allowed daily for 10 minutes per irrigation zone from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Agricultural water conservation best management practices are encouraged to be implemented, including, but not limited to, developing irrigation schedules using real-time weather data and soil moisture probes and irrigate only when soil moisture levels indicate need, developing alternative water supply sources, and ensuring the irrigation system is operating with maximum efficiency by implementing a Mobile Irrigation Laboratory evaluation. For a comprehensive list of agricultural conservation measures, see the Florida Agricultural Water Conservation Best Management Practices Manual produced by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, available at www.floridaagwaterpolicy.com/PDF/Bmps/Bmp_AgWaterConservation2006.pdf
• Livestock water use shall be voluntarily reduced.
• Aquaculture water use shall be voluntarily reduced.
• Soil flooding for vegetable seed planting, rice planting, burning of sugarcane prior to harvest, and to permit harvesting of sod shall be voluntarily reduced. Soil flooding for all other purposes is prohibited.
• Water use for freeze protection shall be restricted to situations in which official weather forecasting services predict temperatures likely to cause permanent damage to crops.

Additionally, water allotments to water users are being reduced on a basin-by-basin basis depending on the water levels and weather conditions within the basin.

Weather and Crop Update

An early Christmas present in the form of rain arrived over the skies of south Florida last weekend as the remnants of Olga interacted with a strong cold front. Even though the District averaged less than one inch, accumulations were highest over Lake Okeechobee and the basins east and west of the lake as noted in the graphic below.

Harvesting reports indicate smaller crop yields on all fields that do not have a dependent source of water and on crops planted away from irrigation ditches. One citrus processing plant is reporting smaller fruit sizes. Juice extractors do not handle small fruit well and an excessive amount of small fruit may result in the load being rejected. Rejected loads due to small size have already surpassed the total for all last season. Some farmers that grow on more sandy soils are opting not to plant a second crop of vegetables this winter due to concerns that they will not be able to grow the crop to maturity. Reports have also been received of some growers not being able to get any water deliveries in the past several weeks.

Beef and dairy cattle ranchers have harvested additional hay this past summer in an attempt to supply cattle through the spring. Where possible, cattle ranchers are drilling wells to water cattle as an alternative to surface water supply.

All farmers are experiencing much higher costs for irrigation due to higher fuel prices.

Drought Page Available on Florida Farm Bureau Federation Website

Up-to-date information on the drought and drought related activities by the five water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection can be found by going to www.floridafarmbureau.org and clicking on ‘Drought Updates’ link located in the left hand column on the homepage.

Water Conservation Summit Participants Charged with Creating Permanent Conservation Plan

With no immediate end in sight for the current severe regional water shortage, the South Florida Water Management District governing board unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a Water Conservation Summit during their October board meeting. This public forum is gaining insight from the experience of other organizations that have developed and implemented successful water conservation programs in other regions of the country.

Florida Farm Bureau Federation and other agricultural interests are included in a broad range of water use stakeholders that are assisting the District in providing input toward the drafting, formulation and implementation of a comprehensive District-wide water conservation program. Meetings will continue through March to formulate a conservation program with a presentation to the governing board planned for April.

Agriculture has been on the forefront of water conservation with the adoption and implementation of best management practices (BMPs) over the past twenty years. These BMPs reduce the amount of water used by applying water at low volumes directly to the root zone. This reduces evaporation and increases efficiency by only applying water that the plant will use. Additionally, scheduling strategies have been developed using soil moisture sensors and water table monitoring wells. Applying water only when and where needed is saving water and financial resources.

Alternative Land Use Challenged by Palm Beach County Commission

Several farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) are trying to diversify farming operations by allowing limestone mining on a small portion of their acreage. Mining is common in the lower east coast region of Florida.

The South Florida Water Management District governing board did not go along with a request by the Palm Beach County Commission to join them in opposition to the proposed mining operations. Carol Wehle, executive director of the District noted that “mining itself is not our concern” and “only the technical issues” associated with the mining operations are of concern to the District.

The technical issues that the District would evaluate are:

1. The mine must be properly designed to handle seepage.
2. If the mine is located in proximity to a stormwater treatment area (STA) or reservoir, the mine has to be engineered as to not cause damage to the STA or reservoir.
3. If the mine is located in proximity to the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, the mine must have proper engineering to prevent seepage that could occur under the dike.

For agriculture to remain viable in Florida diversification is a necessary component to farming as crop markets continue to cycle and foreign competition increases. Land values must remain strong and any attempt to prevent diversification or to regulate ‘green space’ is counter-productive.