Corps adjusts releases from Lake Okeechobee
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Jacksonville District reported that it began reducing releases through S-79 into the Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE) on April 12 as part of Lake Okeechobee Recovery Operations.
“Current projections show conditions are favorable for successfully reaching recovery metrics if dry conditions continue,” it said in a prepared statement on April 11.
Consistent with the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), the maximum allowable releases under Recovery Operations are:
– Up to 2,100 cubic feet per second (cfs) at S-79 to the CRE
– Up to 1,400 cfs total St. Lucie Estuary (SLE) inflows (to include S-80, S-97, S-49 and Gordy Road)
– Up to 300 cfs to the Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL) at S-271 and S-352
– Up to maximum practicable south at S-351 and S-354
On April 12, the district reduced lake releases through S-79 into the CRE from a target pulse of 1,400 cfs to a target pulse of 1,000 cfs. Releases to the SLE and LWL remain at 0 cfs and maximum practicable releases south will continue.
The district reported that it began releases under Recovery Operations on Dec. 7. The goal of recovery is to lower the lake’s water levels before the onset of the wet season to allow for recovery of the lake ecology, specifically submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The operational strategy for the operations slowly brings water levels down by making moderate, non-harmful releases to the estuaries, while also sending maximum beneficial flow south to the Everglades.
Lowering water levels allows light to penetrate to the bottom and allow SAV to regerminate and regrow during the spring and summer. Regrowth of SAV in Lake Okeechobee will reduce water turbidity and nutrient concentrations.
“We continue to monitor the environmental conditions in both estuaries and will adjust Lake Recovery Operations as needed,” it said. “Even if flows are reduced or halted, this does not end Recovery Operations. Recovery Operations conclude with the start of the wet season.”