Fighting The Drought, One Drop At A Time | Environment

Drought is slowly closing in on Hernando County, and while we can't reverse it right away, there are things we can do to slow it's advance.

If you look at the image above, you'll see that as of May 31, only 9.79% of the state is drought free. Unfortunately, the heat is only going to intensify as we head into summer, causing the drought to get worse. The lack of significant rain is slowly catching up to us.

To date, my weather station just north of  Brooksville has seen 13.94 inches of rain this year.

With several scorching months still ahead of us, we need to save as much water as possible, and not waste it needlessly.  Hernando County is now at two-day-per-week watering restrictions.   People with even numbered addresses can water on Thursday and/or Sunday, and people with odd numbered addresses can water on Wednesday and/or Saturday.

Locations without an address can water on Tuesday and/or Friday. You can find more information regarding watering restrictions here.

You can also conserve water by buying plants that don't need much water.  Here is a link to a searchable plant database and a landscaping guide that will help you find drought-resistant plants for your yard.

You can find even more information on water conservation at the links below:

Hernando County Extension Services

Water Use Calculator

Citizens For Water

Southwest Florida Water Management District