Audubon's Dr. Paul Gray reports from his recent trip on Lake Okeechobee to examine water levels and the resident Everglade Snail Kite population:

I went on Lake Okeechobee Thursday (March 24) with staff of three agencies, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and South Florida Water Management District, to inspect conditions for nesting Everglade Snail Kites in relation to water levels.

The good news is there are 21 nests on the Lake.  But with Okeechobee at about 11.5 feet, about 80% of the marsh is already dry and the Kites are using the last, wet edge of the marsh.  Most nests are in 1-3 feet of water and with the present drought, many could fail if the water drops too rapidly, or too greatly.

We took many measurements of water depths and the analysis is ongoing of the likely future of the nests.  Preliminarily, it looks like if the lake drops only one more foot before June, everything could be alright.  However, most projections are for a greater drop in water levels.

The final extent of harm will depend on how low the lake drops, and would occur in three increasing levels.  The first harm would be nesting impacts, and oddly is the least overall threat.  The second harm from further drops in levels, would be loss of foraging habitat for Kites, which not only displaces Kites from Okeechobee, but also strands the many Kites leaving the Water Conservation Areas due to drying (possibly leading to starvation of adults in south Florida).  The final, and worst case scenario, would be loss of the snails from extreme drying, making Okeechobee unsuitable for Kites for years to come.

Audubon strongly urges the water shortage level to be immediately raised from Phase 1 (15% cutbacks) to Phase 3 (45% cutbacks) for water deliveries. In order for the SFWMD to fulfill its stewardship responsibilities, actions must address the serious consequences facing the endangered Everglade Snail Kite population on Lake Okeechobee.