The doubling of population in Florida between 1960-80 brought about increasing demands for water by agricultural and urban-industrial activities. Irrigated acreage remained highly concentrated in the central counties around Lake Okeechobee, where climatic factors are especially conducive to the production of specialty crops such as citrus, vegetables, tropical fruits, and sugarcane. Prolonged drought during the early 1960's stimulated significant growth in the region's irrigated acreage. In recent years, other U.S. regions and Mexico have provided Florida with intense competition in the market for specialty crops. Florida has 1.2 million acres of unirrigated cropland and another 1.5 million acres of pastureland in soil classes I, II, and III, which represent potential area for irrigation development.