Army Corps announces LOSOM PDT meeting
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’s Jacksonville District announced a Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) Project Delivery Team (PDT) Meeting scheduled for Aug. 25 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
“The purpose of the August 25 Project Delivery Team Meeting is to kick off Iteration 3 operational guidance development,” LOSOM Project Manager Tim Gysan said. “We are going to explain the role of the PDT, stakeholders and members of the public during this next phase. We’ll discuss the specifics on how they can be involved in the development of operational guidance and water management tools that we will use to make our day-to-day water management decisions in the future.”
“We need to identify specific operational criteria and guidance for water managers. Continued PDT involvement is incredibly important to help identify and develop the concepts to provide the plan the ability to facilitate smart decisions based conditions on the ground,” Gysan said. “For example, we are looking for specific input on how the USACE should consider algal blooms in the system when making water management decisions under LOSOM.”
“The operating plan for Lake Okeechobee encompasses more than just lines on a plot, it’s the details that support those lines that really provide the everyday decision-making guidance,” Gysan said. “This will all be documented in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Water Control Plan. The process of optimization and developing the operational guidance, Iteration 3, will continue through mid-October.”
The release of the draft EIS for public comment is scheduled for February, the release of a final EIS by July, and a Record of Decision in November of 2022, so that we have the plan ready to implement as soon as the Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation is complete at the end of 2022.
PDT members include only the federal officials and elected officers of state, local or tribal governments or their designated employees with authority to act on their behalf acting in their official capacities.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the government agency PDT meeting and provide comment during the designated Public Comment periods. Log into the Webinar first and have it call your phone in order to avoid background noise so all participants can hear the discussion clearly.
Mute your phone and mute your computer upon joining the meeting. All lines except those who are scheduled to speak will be muted during the meeting.
LOSOM PDT Meeting — LOSOM Operational Guidance
Aug. 25 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
https://usace1.webex.com/meet/lisa.e.aley
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Additional information is available at www.saj.usace.army.mil/LOSOM/.