Just off Kings Highway in Arcadia, down a well-worn dirt road flanked by dense shrubby and grazing deer, there is a sparkling 6 billion gallon tub of water that has seen much worse days.

A lingering drought throughout much of Florida had taken a toll on the Peace River reservoir that serves drinking water to the Suncoast region, sinking water levels in July to the lowest since 2017. The reservoir held about 2.58 billion gallons of water — or about 40% of its capacity. 

Now, officials say that after a wet several months, the reservoir again sits full, a promising sign for the region’s supply. Although Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties remain under drought conditions and water restrictions, the situation has improved considerably since early summer.

The reservoir is designed to store water collected from the Peace River during Florida’s rainy, summer season, building up reserves that can be tapped during the drier fall and winter months, when the Peace River’s flow typically slows. 

But an unusually dry rainy season in 2025 disrupted that cycle. 

Richard Anderson, executive director of the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, said the earlier the river’s flow drops, the earlier they must rely on reserves.

“This past year, the flow dried up in the river a lot earlier than normal because of the drought,” Anderson said. “Last year, we ran out of water. We started pumping off the reservoir and stopped pumping the river.”

The Peace River emerges from where Saddle Creek meets the Peace Creek Drainage Canal in northern Polk County, and cuts 105 miles southward through Florida’s interior before retiring into the Charlotte Harbor estuary. It is a critical water source for Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, as well as the city of North Port. 

In August, about 61% of unincorporated Sarasota County’s water came from the Peace River. The county also relies on groundwater drawn from underground aquifers and treated at its T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Water Treatment Facility, which can provide up to nearly 12 million gallons a day. It purchases additional water from Manatee County.

The cities of Sarasota and Venice operate separate water systems. Sarasota draws groundwater from the Verna Wellfield facility, while Venice operates its own treatment plant which pulls water from aquifer wells.

Charlotte County is much more dependent on the Peace River, which supplies about 96% of its drinking water.

Drought conditions persist

Although the reservoir has recovered, the drought is far from over.

Florida is on track for its driest year since 2007, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Through August, the region governed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District — a 10,000-square-mile block on the Gulf Coast stretching from Levy County to Charlotte County — has recorded a 12-month rain deficit of 15.4 inches.

There are a myriad of conditions that can lead to less rainfall, such as a lack of hurricanes in the area over the past two years or dry La Niña trade winds.

All of Sarasota County remains in some state of drought, according to the U.S Drought Monitor, a weekly map tracking drought conditions across the country. That’s a modest improvement from earlier this summer, though portions of Manatee and DeSoto counties remain under severe drought.

The World Meteorological Organization is also projecting a strong El Niño through early 2027, which raises risks of extreme weather but could bring above-average rainfall to Florida during its dry season.

Despite the reservoir’s recovery, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, also known as Swiftmud, announced in September that it would extend water shortage restrictions through March 31.

Katie Gilmore, the water authority’s director of operations, said had the drought continued, there could have been difficulties meeting the region’s water demand. 

“The reason (Swiftmud) extended them, right around the same time we started seeing some real rainfall in the area, was because it takes a long time for those supplies to recover,” Gilmore said.

The water restrictions include once-per-week lawn and landscape watering, conservation efforts by local utility departments, and a requirement that restaurants only serve water upon request. Previous reporting by Suncoast Searchlight found that such restrictions were not evenly enforced across Sarasota County. 

Although there is improvement, Gilmore said, it does not mean those under water restrictions can start turning on their sprinklers in the rain or washing their cars every day.

“It’s a lot of work and money to take water from the environment and make high-quality drinking water,” Gilmore said. “So you really shouldn’t just be wasting that.”

Preparing for future droughts

The water authority aims to have about a year’s worth of supply on standby for the communities it serves through its reservoirs and an underground storage system that holds another 6.3 billion gallons.

That storage facility will become increasingly important as the region’s population grows and climate change raises concerns about future droughts.

A new reservoir, expected to be completed in 2030, will hold 9 billion gallons of water. The more than $478 million project will prepare the region for ever-increasing population growth, the possibility of future droughts, and the impacts of climate change, the water authority said.

For now, though, the existing reservoir’s recovery offers some reassurance after a difficult year.

Christian Casale covers government and politics for Suncoast Searchlight. Email him at christian@suncoastsearchlight.org.