Abstract
The Kissimmee Basin in south-central Florida experienced a severe drought during 1980-82. Lake Okeechobee, the largest water storage area in south Florida, reached its lowest recorded stage of 9.75 feet above sea level on July 29, 1981. The drought was the result of a prolonged period of deficient rainfall extending from June 1980 to March 1982. Drought conditions on the southeast coast of Florida 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. The recurrence intervals for some stations in south-central Florida were in excess of 100 years. The 1980-82 drought in southeast Florida was not as severe as the 1961-62 or the 1970-71 droughts in terms of rainfall conditions or the effect on water levels. Water-management practices further mitigated the effect of the drought on the southeast coast of Florida. Reduction of surface-water runoff and implementation of flow augmentation to maintain ground-water levels in coastal areas, maintenance of higher ground-water levels at the end of the wet season, and water-use restrictions minimized the effects of the drought in this area.
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