U.S. Army Corps begins water releases from Lake Okeechobee
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District started releasing water from Lake Okeechobee over the weekend as part of its effort to manage rising water levels.
The discharges were scheduled to begin on June 1, according to officials.
The target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary is 4,000 cubic feet per second as measured at the Moore Haven Lock, located in the southwest part of the lake. The target flow for the St. Lucie Estuary is 1,800 cubic feet per second as measured at the St. Lucie Lock, near Stuart. Additional runoff from rain in the St. Lucie basins could occasionally result in flows that exceed the target.
“Historic rain across the region since the middle of May has caused the lake to rise more than a foot,” Col. Jason Kirk, commander of the Jacksonville District, said. “We have to be prepared for additional water that could result from a tropical system. The lake today is above the stage when Irma struck in September, which eventually caused the water level to exceed 17 feet. A similar storm could take the lake to higher levels.”
As of May 31, the lake stage was 14.08 feet, up 1.25 feet from its 2018 low, which occurred May 13. The lake was in the Operational Low Sub-Band, as defined by the 2008 Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule, but within 1 foot of the Intermediate Sub-Band. Under such conditions, the regulation schedule authorizes the Corps to discharge up to 4,000 cubic feet per second to the Caloosahatchee – measured at S-77 – and up to 1,800 cubic feet per second to the St. Lucie – measured at S-80.
“Forecasts indicate more rain is on the way in the coming week,” Kirk said. “Additionally, long-range predictions indicate increasing probabilities of above-average precipitation for the rest of the wet season. We must start aggressively managing the water level to create storage for additional rain in the coming wet season.”
For more information on water level and flows data for Lake Okeechobee, visit online at www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/WaterManagement.