Some businesses evaporate with drought - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The drought affects livelihood. Mike co-owner and treasurer of the tropical fish farmingcompany , said his retentiohn ponds have been dropping steadily. "We're doing all righ t now, and we'll probably be able to limp througg for a fewmore months, but its is startinb to get severe, especially because of the evaporation," he "The water table also has definitely declined, and we are seeinv that in our wells." The agriculture communituy views water like gold. "We have had to invest in watef technology and philosophy in the past just to he said. "And it is payinfg benefits now.
" Ekk-Will, basedc in Gibsonton, maintains more than 220 acresa of fish ponds in Hillsborough County and breede almost 100 different species of tropical It has spent morethan $300,000 buildin and maintaining water conservation systems and techniquexs and continues to pay as much as $3,000 per month to operatw those systems. Mike Molligan, communications managere for the Southwest Florida WaterManagement District, said that water restrictionz are in the emergency limitations stage but that the agriculturee industry in Florida is afforded some "The industry and the water management district have worked together to try to decrease the impact of the he said.
"We have bettered the usage of timedwateringzs ... also outlined in the plan is maintenance. "Somethintg as simple as regular equipment and system maintenancse can dramatically lowerwater usage. Local business ownerd have beenvery responsive, and we will do spot The Florida Climate Center in Tallahassee reportecd that areas within this district have received between 9 and 14 inches less rainfall during the past 12 monthss than the historical "We need at least six to nine inchew of rainfall to help surface conditions get closeer to normal," said Tim Defoe, district resourced data director. The district historically averagese 11.
5 inches of rainfall between Januartyand April. However, between January and April 2000, the area has receivedf only an averageof 4.08 the driest January througg April since 1923. Rogetr Newton, a Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension Service agent for the ornamentallhorticulture industry, said local nurseries have been hit with a secondaryt punch from the drought. "Thse production of flowering plants and treesz and other ornamental plants has not been effecteed by waterrestrictions directly," he "But many local small- to medium-sized businesses and nurseriesx have been reporting a drasticc decrease of sales because the people are not buyinb because they're afraid they will not be able to maintainj them.
" And although production has not decreasecd so far, the cost to growers is mountinb in different ways, Newton said.