40D-21.221. Evaluating Water Conditions

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are being adequately enforced; and (c) Whether an existing order issued pursuant to this chapter should be modified or rescinded in light of existing and/or anticipated conditions.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