A staple of living in Lakewood Ranch is the look of green, manicured lawns, but Manatee County is encouraging residents to tolerate browning grass due to “extreme” drought conditions.
“We’ve got water for drinking,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “But what we don’t want is people watering their lawns every day to keep them super green and washing their cars every day.”
In a press release dated March 24, the Southwest Florida Water Management District reported that the district has a 13.7-inch regional rainfall deficit compared to the average 12-month total. In addition, water levels in aquifers, rivers and lakes are declining and public water supplies are extremely low for this time of year…