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Prepare Your Lawn For Drought

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Although droughts are often thought of in terms of months or years, south Florida can experience drought conditions after only a few days without rainfall due to our sandy soil. The impact of drought conditions on lawns can be made more severe if water restrictions are implemented. But you can prepare your lawn for the dry season which is approximately October through May. Irrigation practices, mowing methods, fertilizer application, and pest control are the keys to preparing your lawn for drought.

Spots in the lawn that turn a brown/gray color, footprints that remain in the grass long after being made, and many leaf blades folded in half lengthwise, are some indications that the lawn needs water. Apply only enough water to wet the soil. One inch of water is enough for most Florida sandy soils. The next irrigation should be withheld until signs of wilt occur again. It may take up to six weeks to condition a lawn to survive several days or more without wilting between irrigation or rainfall. During this time the root system is developing and growing deeper into the soil.

Every time a lawn is mowed, there is stress on the grass metabolism which reduces root growth. Mowing frequency and the height of cut need to be carefully considered. Use the highest setting on the mower for drought conditioning. Never mow more than one-third the height of the lawn at any one time. Keep the mower blades sharp and properly balanced. A leaf blade cut by a sharp blade will heal over more quickly, losing less water, than a leaf blade shredded by dull mower blades.

All the drought conditioning accomplished by proper irrigation and mowing practices can be undone by excessive nitrogen fertilization. Shoot growth is enhanced, and root growth is reduced by excessive nitrogen. Conversely, Potassium fertilization can help lawns increase their tolerance to stress because it promotes increased root growth and thicker cell walls which improves drought tolerance.

Pest control on lawns should be done with a great deal of care because pesticides can add extra stress through phytotoxicity. Once a pest problem has been diagnosed, spot treatment is usually as effective as treating the whole lawn.

A drought prepared lawn can withstand more stress and will encourage the growth of a deep and extensive root system toughened through proper management practices.

Control Structure

Technology Enhances Flood Control

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South Florida’s tropical weather events can be intense and seriously threaten property and life. In response, the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) monitors canal elevations and makes necessary operational adjustments to its water control structures to provide flood control for the 200 square miles of land within its boundary.

Water control structures act like dams, allowing stormwater to be released or held back depending on weather conditions. The technology used to operate LWDD’s water control structures is called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). As the water rises in the canal and reaches a pre-determined elevation, SCADA will slowly open control structures releasing water for flood control. Similarly, as water elevations return to normal levels the control structure gates will close, holding back water for conservation and water supply demands.

This response to changes in the canal system happens automatically and can be monitored remotely by staff using mobile devices. However, in anticipation of severe weather, staff can override the automated SCADA system and make manual adjustments as needed. The remote monitoring and operating functions of SCADA eliminates the need for LWDD staff to venture out during dangerous weather conditions to operate control structures, as well as significantly reduces response time.

Another advantage to SCADA is the capture of operational data by the system which can be used to evaluate future water supply needs and historical flood control responses. This data can be shared with regional water management partners for enhanced flood control coordination and water conservation measures.

LWDD is proud to provide the residents and businesses within our boundary this advanced flood control technology.

Lake Okeechobee Drought 2007

Lake Okeechobee Water Management

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At its meeting on April 19, 2019, the LWDD Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted Resolution 19-04 urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to consider the importance of protecting Palm Beach County’s water supply in the development of a new Lake Okeechobee regulation schedule.

Lake Okeechobee is part of an integrated regional water management system essential to communities, businesses, public water supply utilities and ecosystems throughout Palm Beach County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages Lake Okeechobee water levels. The USACE is in the process of developing a new Lake Okeechobee water level regulation schedule called the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) which will define the parameters for future management of Lake Okeechobee.

The LWDD is highly dependent on Lake Okeechobee as a source of water supply, especially during times of water shortages. As the new LOSOM is developed, LWDD urges the USACE and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to favor operational alternatives that maximize health, safety, and welfare of the water-use community. The future operational design for Lake Okeechobee should include changes that minimize the potential for short-term water supply shortages, and protect the existing permitted water allocations, which will assure the predictability of a continued and reliable source that is essential to water supply planning on local and regional levels.

The LWDD recognizes that water supply is but one of the significant public health, safety and welfare concerns that must be weighed by the USACE and SFWMD in the development of LOSOM. These include the environmental health of the Lake, the health of flora and fauna which make Lake Okeechobee home, the health of the Everglades, the health of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries, and the integrity of the Herbert Hoover Dike and safety of surrounding communities.

The Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) provides flood control and water supply for more than 800,000 residents and more than 10,000 acres of agricultural land in Palm Beach County. The LWDD service area encompasses 218 square miles, with 13 municipalities and 511 miles of drainage canals. Additionally, LWDD water control activities provide aquifer recharge to prevent saltwater intrusion for numerous major wellfields.

A copy of the resolution can be found at LWDD Resolution 19-04.

Graphic of Women with Cloud above her head and word 'stormwater'

Stormwater 101: Frequently Asked Questions

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Q.   Where does the water in the LWDD canals come from?

A.   Stormwater (rainfall) is where LWDD receives most of its water supply for the canal system. However, during dry periods with low rainfall, LWDD may rely on the regional system of canals, Water Conservation Areas and sometimes Lake Okeechobee as a source of supplemental water.

Q.   Who owns the water within LWDD’s canals?

A.   In Florida, water is not a property right but rather a resource ‘shared in common’ by landowners. Groundwater and surface water (canals) are held in trust for the benefit of its citizens. Ownership of the land adjacent to a water body does not provide ownership of the water nor the right to use the water. The right to use water is regulated by the State of Florida through regional water management districts. In our area, the entity responsible is the South Florida Water Management District.

Q.   What is a drought?

A.   While it is relatively easy to define what a hurricane or an earthquake is, defining a drought is more subjective. Droughts do not have the immediate effects of floods, but sustained droughts can cause economic stress throughout an area. The word “drought” has various meanings, depending on a person’s perspective. To a farmer, a drought is a period of moisture deficiency that affects the crops under cultivation. Even two weeks without rainfall can stress many crops during certain periods of the growing cycle. To a meteorologist, a drought is a prolonged period when precipitation is less than normal. To a water manager, a drought is a deficiency in the water supply that affects water availability and water quality.

Q.   How does drought affect private and municipal well fields?

A.   The water level in the underground aquifer that supplies a well does not always remain the same. Seasonal variations in rainfall or manual pumping may affect the height of the underground water levels. If a well is pumped at a faster rate than the aquifer is recharged by rainfall or other underground water flows, then the water level in the well can be lowered. This can happen during drought, due to the deficit in the amount of rain.

Q.   Where can I find information about water restrictions in my area?

A.  To promote responsible water use and protect our valuable water resources, Palm Beach County observes the South Florida Water Management District’s Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Measures Rule. Landscape irrigation is restricted to three days a week before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Several municipalities within the Lake Worth Drainage District’s jurisdictional boundaries have adopted their own, more stringent water and irrigation conservation ordinances. Please check with your local municipality for their specific water use rules. For additional information on current water restrictions, visit the South Florida Water Management District’s website at http://www.sfwmd.gov

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Dry Season Landscapes

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Water is a critical factor for healthy and attractive landscapes. The absence of adequate rainfall or irrigation can lead to drought stress and reduced plant growth. Drought stress happens when the plant’s roots cannot absorb the quantity of water needed to support normal growth processes. Even though South Florida receives an annual average of over 50 inches of rain, this rainfall is seasonal. Some plant species encounter drought stress during our dry season which lasts from approximately November to May.

During times of reduced water, plants react by cutting down on photosynthesis and other processes to reduce their water consumption. With progressive water loss, the leaves of some plant species may turn pale or brown. Foliage often withers away, and the entire plant may die. This can be a frustrating and a costly occurrence for a home gardener. So why fight mother nature? There are hundreds of landscape plants that can tolerate drought stress. A few familiar to most gardeners are the Blanket Flower with bright gold and red flowers, Firebush with colorful tube-shaped yellow-and-orange flowers and Buttonwood which can be used as an attractive hedge. Many drought-tolerant flowering plants are a favorite among butterflies and hummingbirds which can add more beauty to your landscape.

Creating a landscape design using drought-tolerant shrubs, trees and flowers can help you avoid plant loss and extensive water-use. For more information on drought-tolerant landscapes, visit the University of Florida’s website at http://www.gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/landscaping-for-specific-sites/planning-your-landscape-to-conserve-water.html