Page 12 - The Islander - March '21

Page 12, The Islander

northern notes

The Dry Season

By Katie Roundtree, Finance Director, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District

One uncontrollable factor affecting Northern services The National Weather As the winter months continue, we can anticipate some of the
more than any other is the weather. Warmer temperatures Service has forecast that La environmental realities which occur based on NOAA’s forecast.
in the summer months create the potential for increased Niña conditions will likely The biggest and most visible affect is the lowering of water
amounts of rain, flooding and chances of hurricanes. Cooler persist throughout the dry levels across the county. Water levels in the waterways within
temperatures in the winter months typically mean dryer air, season. La Niña is the cold- Northern’s jurisdiction, including neighborhood lakes, fluctuate
less rain and canals and lakes with lower water levels. The water phase of the ENSO (El based on rainfall in the area. When it is raining consistently,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Niño Southern Oscillation) water levels are maintained at or near maximum, but when it
forecasts a drier than normal pattern in south Florida with cycle and is characterized is not raining, water dissipates, and levels fall. During the rainy
slightly warmer than average temperatures for the period from by a cooling of waters in the season we move water out of the waterways in accordance with
November 2020 through April 2021, which encompasses central and eastern equatorial SFWMD criteria. Water is allowed to rise to a certain level
most of the area’s dry season. Pacific waters. This cooling and then it is released to maintain that level and prevent area
of the equatorial Pacific to flooding. In the dry season all rain events are monitored in case
below normal values affects large scale weather systems across lakes and canals reach maximum levels, but it is less likely to
Commissioner’s Update from page 9 all of North America. The main impact of La Niña in Florida is happen because of the limited rainfall. When lake levels drop,
typically a very dry and less stormy winter and early spring. La Northern receives calls asking staff to pump water back into
The $14 million dollar price tag leverages funding Niña winters are typically characterized by a jet stream which lakes; unfortunately, we cannot do this. The simple reason is
through the Tourist Development bed tax (5 percent of total is displaced farther north over North America, leading to most that Northern was not created to pump water into areas, but to
cost), a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental winter and spring low pressure storm tracks staying north of drain the lands within its jurisdiction to make it habitable for
Protection (5 percent of total cost), and Hurricane Irma Florida. The jet stream being farther north can also limit the development. Our enabling legislation in 1959 even went so far to
impact funding from the Federal Emergency Management number of cold air outbreaks into Florida, although a few declare water as a “common enemy.” Thankfully, public opinion
Agency (90 percent of total cost). strong outbreaks of Arctic origin can still occur with freezing of water has changed over time and we have in turn found ways
In January 2020 as part of Segment I of the overall project in temperatures primarily over interior sections of the peninsula. to conserve it. There are times though when water is scarce, and
the Jupiter/Carlin Beach area, 1.05 miles of beach was nourished This could lead to water management issues as well as an until the rains begin again, will remain scarce causing lakes and
in response to damages sustained during passage of Hurricane increased risk of wildfires in the spring. canals to be low.
Irma. Approximately 500,000 cubic yards of sand pumped A warmer and drier than normal winter and dry season According to NOAA, we can look forward to more cool,
onshore from a permitted offshore borrow area was shaped decreases the likelihood and frequency of severe weather events clear days than rainy ones in the coming months. While we enjoy
and graded to form a natural beach slope. This year, the area such as tornadoes, flooding, strong winds and hail, but does not the cooler temperatures, please remember we are still in the dry
will receive an additional 200,000 cubic yards of sand through totally eliminate them. During the La Niña of 2016/2017, three season, and that means low water levels all across the county.
maintenance dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway and Jupiter tornadoes were observed in southeast Florida during January and We have to be patient and let nature take its course.
Inlet by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Jupiter Inlet March. Also, as noted previously, a few strong cold snaps and Source: National Weather Service Forecast Office
District and the Florida Inland Navigational District. freezes typically occur during La Niña winters even though the NPDES tip: Do not burn any trash in your yards, and don’t
Work to restore the dunes in Segment II, which runs for average temperatures over an extended period may be warmer dump any debris into lakes and canals.
7,700 feet from Carlin Park south, should begin in the first than normal.
quarter of 2022.
These projects help preserve our treasured coastal
resources, amenities that greatly influence our local
economy and high quality of life.
Please contact me with your ideas and let me know how I
can assist you. You can reach me at (561) 355-2201 or by email
at mmarino@pbcgov.org.

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