A prolonged drought has pushed a stretch of the Upper Peace River in Polk County to the brink of complete drying, prompting water managers to shut down a key water supply structure.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD) has closed the Lake Hancock water control structure, a move expected to cause roughly 15 miles of the Upper Peace River — from Lake Hancock to Fort Meade — to run dry.
The region is currently facing a 13-inch rainfall deficit. The Lake Hancock structure, built in 2015, was designed to store water from the rainy season and release it during dry months, but this year’s drought depleted those reserves earlier than expected.
“This year with the drought, we depleted our storage in Lake Hancock, so we are no longer able to send any more stored water down to the Upper Peace River,” said Randy Smith, natural systems and restoration bureau chief for the SWFMD. “We are really struggling. These drought conditions really, really stress our abilities to balance our water needs and the environmental needs.”
The effects are already visible on the ground. At the Peace River Campground in Arcadia, exposed rocks and receding banks mark what was recently a flowing waterway. Ivan Manriquez, who works at the campground, said water levels are roughly two feet below normal, making canoeing and airboat trips difficult or impossible in many areas.
The drought is also affecting agriculture. Manriquez noted that farmers raising livestock are being forced to buy more hay as pastures dry up.
The last time the SWFMD was forced to close water flow from Lake Hancock was in 2017, and that closure lasted only a few weeks. This year’s closure has come earlier than anticipated.
The Peace River stretches 120 miles from Polk County to Charlotte Harbor. Officials are urging residents to conserve water as the district works with local utilities under water shortage orders to manage the ongoing crisis.
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