The signs are everywhere. A drive through neighborhoods along the Gulf Coast reveals dry, brown lawns and canals reduced to just puddles, or emptied out entirely.
Despite some rain over the weekend, Southwest Florida remains in a severe drought, affecting everyone from Cape Coral homeowners to even Everglades wildlife.
In North Cape Coral, residents like Jim Fraher are watching their once-lush yards wither away.
“We haven’t had any rain since Fido was a pup,” Fraher said. “It seems to be happening every year when we go these long stretches without any rain, and it’s just terrible.”
Fraher, like many in his neighborhood, is dealing with parched grass and restrictions on well water use. He also points to the region’s rapid population growth, which is putting even more strain on water resources.
“You think Florida, you think lush, semi-tropical. You don’t think water shortages,” Fraher said. “But with all the people moving here, it’s been unprecedented.”
But brown lawns are only part of the story. To grasp the full impact of this drought, you need to head south to the Everglades, where parts of the famed "River of Grass" now resemble a desert.
Jessica Anshaw, who typically runs airboat tours from Cory Billie's off U.S. 41 in Collier County, has been out of business since March. Now she runs shelling tours instead.
“It’s been over a month, a month and a half,” Anshaw said. “We were running in March, then things got too low. Since the end of March, we haven’t been running at all because, as you can see, there’s no water.”
Many wetlands are now dry and cracked, solid enough to walk across.
“Some areas we would ride are now just sand. If you walk out there right now, it’s all sand,” she added.
The drought is also putting immense pressure on wildlife. Alligators are congregating in the few remaining deep ponds and canals.
“They need deep water to survive,” Anshaw explained. “If they were out here in just a few inches, they’d roast to death.”
Wading birds have also crowded around what little water remains, competing for dwindling resources.
Hydrogeologist Tom Missimer says part of the problem is human alteration of natural water flows.
“Before mankind was around, a lot of the water drained through Lake Okeechobee all the way down to Florida Bay,” Missimer said. “But the Everglades system has been altered to a great degree.”
What was once a year-round wetland is now cyclical, swinging between extreme droughts and heavy flooding. Development and modern water management have only exacerbated the fluctuations.
“This happened five years ago, too, though not as bad,” Anshaw recalled. “They were out of work for three weeks then. This time it’s been over a month already, and it’ll probably be another three weeks or more before we see enough rain.”
And even when the rains return, it will take time — and significant downpours — to restore water levels.
Until then, Southwest Florida’s residents, businesses, and wildlife remain at the mercy of a deepening drought.
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