As Lake Okeechobee water levels continue to drop, a game of Russian roulette is being played with the fate of a majestic hawk, the endangered Everglade Snail Kite (Kite). This past weekend, the lake level dropped below 11 feet, which is the level where further drawdowns of water start to lead to harmful over-drying, and Kite nest success turns toward failure and starvation. Yet, water rationing is only in Phase 1, a mere 15% cutback for agricultural users, golf course irrigation, and landscape irrigation in areas south of Lake Okeechobee.

Kites depend on aquatic apple snails for their diet. When lake levels drop below 11 feet, the marsh is almost completely dried and many  apple snails may die, leaving the Kites without a dependable food source this year, and for many years until snail populations can recover.

The plight of the Everglade Snail Kite has recently gained media attention. The Sun Sentinel profiled the South Florida Water Management District’s coordination with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to farm apple snails in a hatchery close to Lake Okeechobee. While Audubon is pleased that there is increased attention to the health of apple snail populations, apple snail farming is of limited use. Past attempts to farm apple snails show that the costs of these projects outweigh the benefits and it is not the most realistic solution.

Snails and Kites are not all that suffer serious damage from extreme droughts. Organic soils of the southern islands oxidize making the islands permanently lower and submerged plant beds are dried and lost. Turtles, frogs, and other denizens of the marsh have massive population losses. The economies of lakeside communities depend on a healthy, vibrant lake for tourism, fishing, and other activities.

Maintaining water levels as high as possible in Lake Okeechobee is the only viable solution to help prevent as much harm as possible from this year’s drought . Audubon continues to urge the SFWMD to increase rationing levels from Phase 1 to Phase 3 to save as much water as possible for this critically endangered bird, and other species dependent on the lake. Click here to learn more about the impact of water levels on the kite.