Tampa Bay Regional Drought Index (August 7, 2007)

CLEARWATER (August 7, 2007)—The summer rainfall pattern to-date has not yielded high enough regional rainfall totals to make a significant positive impact on regional surface water storage conditions. Long-term below-normal flows continue in the Hillsborough and Alafia rivers, limiting the ability to withdrawal water for use in the Tampa Bay Water regional water system.

Regional water facts for July:

• Flows in both the Hillsborough and Alafia rivers were more than 75 percent below normal.
• Regional water demand in July exceeded 252 million gallons per day (mgd) due to dry weather.
• The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir has supplied nearly 11 billion gallons of water to the region so far in 2007. As of July 31, 2007, about 2.4 billion gallons of water was stored in the Regional Reservoir, which has a capacity of 15 billion gallons.
• As of August 5, 2007, efforts to optimize regional surface water storage increased the Reservoir level to 3.11 billion gallons.
• The reservoir needs at least 9 billion gallons to sufficiently supply the region next year. To reach that level, more than 100 million gallons will need to be added each day for 60 days.

Above-normal river flows for the next six to seven months will be necessary to fully bring reservoir and river supplies back to pre-drought conditions. Tampa Bay Water issued a Level III Water Supply Crisis in June, requiring the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and New Port Richey, and the counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco to reduce demand and increase enforcement of water restrictions.  The Southwest Florida Water Management District area remains in a Level II Water Shortage.

For more information contact Dave Bracciano or Alison Adams at 727.796.2355.