Florida Administrative Code
40 - WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
40D - Southwest Florida Water Management District
Chapter 40D-21 - WATER SHORTAGE PLAN
Section 40D-21.221 - Evaluating Water Conditions

Universal Citation: FL Admin Code R 40D-21.221

Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024

(1) The District shall consider the data collected by the District as described in Rule 40D-21.211, F.A.C., in determining:

(a) Whether a Water Shortage or Water Shortage Emergency should be declared in light of existing or projected conditions and anticipated durations thereof;

(b) Whether the restrictions and other response mechanisms in effect are being adequately enforced; and

(c) Whether an existing order issued pursuant to this chapter should be modified or rescinded in light of existing and/or anticipated conditions.

(2) Regional condition data may represent the entire District or any portion thereof. Individual Drought Indicators and Drought Condition Levels shall be decision-making tools, not values that will automatically trigger a District response.

(3) In evaluating whether or not a Water Shortage or Water Shortage Emergency should be declared, the following evaluation process is followed:

(a) The District will compare current data to predetermined values for specific Drought Indicators as shown in Table 21-1.

(b) The District will compile these comparisons to determine the appropriate Drought Condition Level. Specifically, the combination of values for regional Drought Indicators shall be assessed in relation to the matrix shown in Table 21-2;

(c) This evaluation will occur on at least a monthly basis;

(d) Results of this evaluation will be reported to the Board and the Executive Director as needed.

TABLE 21-1: Drought Indicators

Drought Indicator Value

REGIONAL RAINFALL

(12-Month Moving Sum)

REGIONAL RAINFALL

(24-Month Moving Sum)

CURRENT STREAM-FLOW (7-Day

Moving Average)

AVERAGE STREAM-FLOW (8-Week

Moving Average)

AQUIFER RESOURCE INDICATOR

Moderately Abnormal

21st to 25th percentile

21st to 25th percentile

21st to 25th percentile

21st to 25th percentile

16th to 25th percentile

Severely Abnormal

11th to 20th percentile

11th to 20th percentile

11th to 20th percentile

11th to 20th percentile

16th to 25th percentile for 4 weeks

*or* below the 16th percentile

Extremely Abnormal

6th to 10th percentile

6th to 10th Percentile

6th to 10th percentile

6th to 10th percentile

Below the 16th percentile for 4 weeks

Critically Abnormal

5th percentile or less

5th percentile or less

5th percentile or less

5th percentile or less

Below the 16th percentile for 8 weeks

TABLE 21-2: Drought Condition Levels

Drought Condition Level

If this is true ...

Moderate

At least one Drought Indicator is Moderately Abnormal

Severe

Multiple Drought Indicators are Moderately Abnormal or one is Severely Abnormal

Extreme

Multiple Drought Indicators are Severely Abnormal or one is Extremely Abnormal

Critical

Multiple Drought Indicators are Extremely Abnormal or at least one is Critically

Abnormal

Rulemaking Authority 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.175, 373.246 FS.

New 11-19-84, Amended 4-9-06, 7-5-12.

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