LCWA to launch study to dive into lake-level worries

South Lake residents have watched their lakes recede as the county struggles with a lack of adequate rainfall.

The Clermont Chain of Lakes is about 21/2 to 31/2 feet below the regulatory water levels, and residents don't quite know who to blame, said Mike Perry, executive director of the Lake County Water Authority.

"They're convinced somebody has done something wrong — that somebody let all the water out," Perry told county commissioners this week.

But the low water levels are caused by a lack of significant rainfall, a problem that has compounded during the past five years and created a 55-inch rain deficit.

"The lakes are really driven by rainfall," Perry said.

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