The 1971 drought in South Florida and its effect on the hydrologic system

The 1971 dry season rainfall in south Florida was low enough that the public media and concerned public officials unanimously characterized the event as a severe drought.

Rainfall over all of south Florida during the 1970 wet season and the 1970-71 dry season was less than 85 percent of normal, as was the 1971 wet season on the heavily populated southeast coast of Florida. Rainfall during the dry season ranged from 20 to 63 percent of normal and recurrence intervals for dry season rainfall of this magnitude ranged from 100 years to several hundred years.

Canal flow and ground-water levels reflected the drought conditions but in most cases did not set record lows. No permanent undesirable effects occurred as a result of the drought.