ARMY CORPS ANNOUNCES LAKE O RELEASES
STUART, FLORIDA – On February 9, 2024, the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced its intention to work with the South Florida Water Management District and other stakeholders to coordinate substantial water releases from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary and Caloosahatchee River. As of today, the Lake's level stands at 16.33 feet above sea level. During a media briefing on Friday morning, a member of the USACE emphasized the necessity of higher releases to reduce water levels ahead of the wet and hurricane seasons, citing the current high levels for this time of year.
Florida Oceanographic Society is deeply concerned by this recent announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “While we recognize the complexities involved in managing water levels, it is imperative to highlight the ecological consequences such releases pose,” said Mark Perry, Executive Director and CEO of Florida Oceanographic Society. “Historically, discharges from Lake Okeechobee have led to significant environmental consequences to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, including harmful algal blooms, seagrass die-offs, and the destabilization of estuarine ecosystems and our coastal waters. These discharges pose a threat to the delicate balance of our estuaries, upon which countless species depend.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emphasized that initiating water releases from the Lake at this time, with cooler temperatures and lower bloom potential, would mitigate the risk of discharging toxic algae into the estuaries.
At this time no timetable, nor an exact volume of water to be discharged from the Lake, has been set by the USACE and the SFWMD. Florida Oceanographic Society urges these agencies to consider alternative water management solutions. We advocate for the quick adoption of LOSOM and for most of the water to be sent South to the Everglades, where it is needed.
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