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River reaching 'dangerously low' levels
The Hillsborough River is nearly four feet below normal at some points in Temple Terrace.
The water level on the Hillsborough River has been dangerously low for months. And despite recent heavy rainfall, the problem remains.
River levels in Temple Terrace are as much as four feet below normal in some areas. Longtime residents said the low level is causing various problems.
"Even the police patrol boat that comes in here, cannot go in the water and do his job and protect the other people down there,' said John Jung, who lives in the area. "He can't launch it."
From boats stranded in the low levels to wildlife struggling to find food, the low river level has the Temple Terrace River Watch Task Force concerned.
Bay News 9 Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay said the higher rainfall amounts in June helped but that there is a long way to go to replenish water levels.
"It's been so dry that it is going to take huge amounts of rain over several months,' Clay said. "So at least June wasn't dryer than normal, it was wetter than normal.'
But Mother Nature can't take all of the blame.
The Temple Terrace City Council also may fight to save water resources from the city of Tampa.
Tampa pumps more than 80 million gallons of water a day from the middle river - a stretch of the Hillsborough River running through Temple Terrace. In the coming weeks, council members could ask for a permanent river watch board.
Also, some Temple Terrace leaders are expected to meet with the Southwest Florida Water Management District later this month to come up with solutions.
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