Southwest Florida Water Management District: November Report

Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved tightening of water restrictions for all of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties to a Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage. The Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage is in effect through June 30, 2009.

All other counties within the District boundaries continue to be under the Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage.

The District continues to be impacted from two years of drought and the region has a 16-inch rainfall deficit for the past 24 months. Forecasts predict drier than normal conditions through next spring.

Tampa Bay Water, the regions wholesale water supplier, estimates that if the region does not receive above average rainfall January through March 2009, the regional reservoir will be depleted by early May 2009. The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir has had troubles with cracks in the reservoir’s soil-cement layer. This has caused the reservoir’s capacity to decrease from approximately 15 billion gallons to six billion gallons of water.

The Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage has additional restrictions such as:
• Restricting the time for hand-watering or micro-irrigation for non-lawn landscaping to before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Postponing turfgrass renovation, such as replacing lawns, and taking steps to avoid lawn/landscape water use.
• Reducing the 60-day allowance for new plant establishment. During days 31-60, only every-other-day watering is allowed.
• Reducing the time aesthetic fountains and waterfalls may operate from eight hours to four hours per day.
• Limiting the use of unattended line flushing by water utilities.
• Requiring water utilities and other local enforcement officials to increase their enforcement efforts.

To view the complete Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Rules please go to:
http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/water_shortage_s...

Merging of the Northwest Hillsborough and Hillsborough River Basin Boards

This past year, both the Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation report “Agency Sunset Review of the Water Management Districts” and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) Sunset Memorandum on Governance of Florida’s Water Management Districts: Options for Legislative Consideration,” suggested that the District’s Governing Board consider merging Basin Boards where appropriate. After a staff evaluation, the District is considering combining the Northwest Hillsborough and the Hillsborough River Basins.

The existing millage rate of the Northwest Hillsborough Basin is 0.2421, and the Hillsborough River Basin millage rate is 0.2547. Staff recommends applying the lower of the two millage rates if the two Basins are combined. The millage rate would take effect Fiscal Year 2010, which begins October 1, 2009.

If the Basin Boards combine, all existing projects/programs and their associated budgets will remain as is. Based on current property values, consolidation of the two Basin Boards would result in an anticipated reduction of nearly $600,000 in tax assessments for the nearly 800,000 residents of the existing Hillsborough River basin. Additionally, merging the two Basins would eliminate duplication of work totaling approximately $50,000 annually in staff resources.

Current Rainfall Data

2008 Rainfall (in inches)