POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The drought in the region is taking a visible toll in Polk County, with part of the Peace River now on the verge of drying up.
For boaters at Lake Hancock, it may look like any other day, but environmental advocate Tom Palmer said something is off.
“It’s low — it’s been low,” Palmer said.
That’s because the region is dealing with a major rainfall deficit. Nearly 13 inches below average over the past year.
“Normally, you would have stream flow here, but now you see still water,” Palmer said.
To prevent water levels from dropping even further, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has shut off a control structure that allows water to flow from Lake Hancock into the Upper Peace River. That river, which relies on the lake during dry months, could soon dry up between Lakeland and Fort Meade.
“It will continue to dry up as we move forward in this dry season, depending on where you are in the river,” said Randy Smith, SFWMD Natural Systems & Restoration Bureau Chief.
Smith told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Rebecca Petit the last time the structure — which stores and releases water — was closed was back in 2017.
“But this year, the drought is just too much. We’ve depleted our storage in the lake that we used to send to the Upper Peace River, and we’ve had to make the difficult decision of closing that structure,” said Smith.
And with that decision come consequences, including fish kills and worsening river conditions.
Palmer believes protecting the lake is the right move.
“They are trying to keep the lake up because it is a reservoir that they can use later. Because a lot of people use it for recreation and there is no sense in fighting against nature,” Palmer said.
SWFMD warns the Peace River will likely remain dry until the rainy season begins in June.
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