Florida - Tuesday February 28, 2023: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has shut down the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam after aerial photos indicated that an algae mass was moving towards the gate from Lake Okeechobee.
The Port Mayaca Lock and Dam is located on the east side of Lake Okeechobee at the junction with the St. Lucie Canal.
On Jan. 22, when the lake discharges to the St. Lucie River began, Col. James Booth said the discharges were necessary to help bring down the level of Lake Okeechobee. Discharges were released east through the Port Mayaca Lock & Dam at a rate of about 320 million gallons per day,
According to a news release from the USACE, the Corps received aerial imagery showing a thin ribbon of algal mass moving towards the gate Monday. The aerial photos were provided by provided to us by Dr. Scott Khuns and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.
"After receiving the imagery, we immediately shut down (Port Mayaca Lock and Dam) S-308 to further assess and monitor conditions," states the release.
In coordination with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Corps conducted an assessment of the situation Tuesday morning. The Corps says that its operators on the ground "did not detect any visible blue-green algae." Operators conduct visual inspections of the lake and structures for potential algae blooms multiple times daily, says the Corps.
Samples were taken and sent to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee for analysis.
The Corps says that its overall dry-season strategy has not changed, and "we will continue to utilize our make-up releases as a water management tool within the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule 2008 (LORS08) to release the water we have banked up this winter.
However the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam "remains closed" as the potential algae bloom is assessed.
"While not an authorized project purpose, water quality is a critical consideration in our operational decision making," states the release, "and when possible" the Corps says they will "avoid making releases during times when harmful algal blooms are present on the lake."