Adam Putnam: Drought Straining Florida’s Water Needs

Pray for rain, not lightning.

A tropical storm might even be welcome, but not a hurricane.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Tuesday the entire states water resources will continue to be tested throughout the spring and summer due to the ongoing drought conditions.

It obviously impacts your ag needs and urban supply needs, Putnam said at the start of the state Cabinet meeting in the Capitol. Weve got springs going dry in the Suwannee Valley.

The state has also halted water releases from Lake Okeechobee, which impacts both sides of the state's lower peninsula, Putnam said.

Division of Forestry Director Jim Karels said his division remains on alert, trying to stay ahead of firefighter and equipment fatigue. The entire state remains in serious drought conditions that are likely to result in Florida having a repeat of the 2011 wildfire season when about 200,000 acres burned.

The concern is that the longer the drought continues, the dryer the soil will become before the rainy season that normally gets under way in May.

Karels said the state may need two months of rain, or some type of tropical event to saturate the ground enough to help contain fires.

Were trying to stay ahead of the game because we know lightning is coming, Karels told Gov. Rick Scott and state Cabinet members.