Drought of 1980-82 in southeast Florida with comparison to the 1961-62 and 1970-71 droughts
Water-Resources Investigations Report
85-4152
Prepared in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District
By: B.G. Waller
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Abstract
South-central Florida (the Kissimmee Basin) experienced a severe drought during 1980-82, causing Lake Okeechobee--the largest surface-water storage area in south Florida--to reach the lowest stage ever recorded, 9.75 feet above sea level, on July 29, 1981. A prolonged period of deficient rainfall extended from June 1980 to March 1982. On the southeast coast, drought conditions were mitigated on August 16, 1981, when rainfall from Tropical Storm Dennis replenished the coastal aquifers and filled the water conservation areas to near scheduled levels. South Dade County was the only area in south Florida not affected by the drought. Rainfall in the southeast coastal areas had a statistical recurrence ranging from 5 to 20 years whereas the recurrence intervals from some stations in south-central Florida were in excess of 100 years. The 1980-81 drought in southeast Flrodia was not as severe as the 1961-62 or the 1970-71 droughts in terms of rainfall conditions or the effect on water levels. The effects of the drought were less severe because of a combination of water-management practices and periodic rainfall during the otherwise rain-deficient period. (USGS)
Suggested Citation
Drought of 1980-82 in southeast Florida with comparison to the 1961-62 and 1970-71 droughts; 1985; WRI; 85-4152; Waller, B. G.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Drought of 1980-82 in southeast Florida with comparison to the 1961-62 and 1970-71 droughts |
| Series title | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Series number | 85-4152 |
| DOI | 10.3133/wri854152 |
| Year Published | 1985 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center |
| Description | iv, 29 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
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