Rain is a common occurrence in FL in the afternoons, but too much rain can lead to flooding, and not enough can send residents into a drought.
That is why the city has been engaged in a water dispute with Lake Okeechobee and its water supply. Many have asked, what should be done?
According to the United States Drought Monitor, South Florida and the Treasure Coast are either excessively dry or under moderate drought. According to officials, this was the third driest August on record for our area.
Years like this have prompted the city to advocate for more state control over Lake Okeechobee’s waters, which serve as the city’s backup drinking water source.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is approaching completion of a management plan that has received great approval from environmentalists. It advocates for additional water to flow south from Lake Okeechobee, replenishing the Everglades and reducing algal emissions into streams.
“We don’t need a drop, and we’ve been pushing for zero for a long time here: stop the releases, no lake water.” “That desire did not come true today,” Connor stated.
For many years, hazardous blue-green algal blooms in the St. Lucie River and sections of the Caloosahatchee River were blamed on Lake Okeechobee discharges. According to scientists, the blooms have public health implications, and an influx of freshwater with excess nutrients has harmed marine life and seagrass growth.
The new plan will move substantially more water south, providing the Caloosahatchee River with significantly more water than it need during the dry season.
According to the Army Corps, the new plan is a considerable advance over the old plan in terms of achieving balance for all stakeholders.
Colonel James Booth provided the following change summary:
Under typical conditions, eliminate lake releases to the St. Lucie, sending no lake water to the east 95% of the time. Under the 2008 LORS, eastward discharges were only at zero 37% of the time, and flows may exceed 1,800 cubic feet per second even in the low sub-band.
Under normal conditions, eliminate stressful discharges to the Caloosahatchee River from Lake Okeechobee and provide lake flows consistent with estuarine ecosystem, as recommended by RECOVER.
Increase flows south to the Central Everglades to an annual average of 200,000 acre-feet and keep the option of releasing water all the way to the water shortage management line in collaboration with the SFWMD.
Fortify the safety of South FL occupants who are relying on the Herbert Hoover Dike to protect them from flooding issues.
As the C-44 and C-43 reservoirs come online, provide suitable lake operations.
Reduce the number of destructive dry downs on Lake Okeechobee.
The Water Keeper of Lake Worth Reinaldo Diaz concurred with Connor, wanting that discharges to the east were reduced more sharply. “We’re plodding toward the finish line when we should be sprinting,” Diaz said, wanting to see more done to prevent toxic blooms and additional damage to the Lake Worth Lagoon and watershed.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, southeast Florida and the Treasure Coast are either excessively dry or under a moderate drought.
Friends of the Everglades wrote to the Army Corps of Engineers last month, calling the proposed plan “well-balanced management that tries to preserve human health and the ecosystem.”
However, West Palm Beach authorities stated that their water requirements must also be prioritized.
The city has also been in contact with the Army Corps over Lake Okeechobee water releases.
It’s a difficult task to establish a balance between restoring the Everglades, reducing algae, and keeping the taps open.
Meanwhile, there is still optimism that South Florida’s rainy season may bring additional rain in the coming weeks.
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