Couldn't they have waited a day on extending water restrictions?

High water at Rye Wilderness Preserve on Tuesday. (Herald file photo)

In an ironic twist, the Southwest Florida Water Management District just announced it is extending watering restrictions until Dec. 31 for Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties.

That means residents will be limited to watering their lawns twice a week, except for Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota County which  limit watering to once a week.

Thank you very much district governors.

The ground is still soggy, and there is standing water in many places. Don't think too many of us were worried with watering right now.

Here's a portion of the press release that explains the rationale:

"While Tropical Storm Debby provided increased rainfall to the region, it was not enough to fully recover from drought conditions.

"That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted yesterday to extend its Modified Phase I water shortage order for the District’s southern and eastern portions.

"Counties currently under the Phase I order follow the District’s year-round water conservation measures. That means lawn and landscape watering is limited to a two-day-per-week schedule and residents may only water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. 

"While the southern region did see rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby, key hydrologic indicators remain below normal in the region due to long-term drought effects. The region needs above-normal precipitation throughout the rainy season for the area to totally recover from drought conditions."