South Florida - Wednesday January 14, 2024: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will begin to make large releases of water out of Lake Okeechobee to the east, west and south, starting this Saturday, February 17.
A news release today from the USACE explains that its water managers will be targeting the maximum allowable flows under the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule 2008 (LORS08). LORS08 is equivalent to a vehicle operation manual for operating Lake Okeechobee water release structures.
The maximum allowable flows are, on average, 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Julian Keen Jr. Lock and Dam (S-77), 1,800 cfs at St. Lucie Lock and Dam (S-80) and up to 500 cfs to the Lake Worth Lagoon through the C-51 canal.
If the current pattern of heavy rainfall continues much longer, the USACE warns that flow rates may have to be increased even more.
RELEASE AMOUNTS
- Julian Keen Jr. Lock and Dam - 4,000 cubic feet per second
- St. Lucie Lock and Dam - 1,800 cubic feet per second
- Lake Worth Lagoon through the C-51 canal - up to 500 cubic feet per second
Prior to making their decision, the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) consulted with its partners and stakeholders for their input on the best way to conduct the target flows from the Lake to minimize impact on the communities around the lake and along the estuaries.
Last Friday, in a conference call with the media, the Corps signaled that it would begin lowering the lake level which as of Tuesday had risen to 16.37 feet above sea level.
In today's news release, the Corps explains they want to lower the Lake level now, as much as possible, before the wet season begins, with the potential that the Lake could rise to even higher, unsafe levels.
The current Lake level is higher than normal during the dry season. USACE blames the heavier than normal rainfall caused by the current El Nino weather pattern.
By releasing water now, the Corps points out, they will avoid having to lower the Lake level when the weather gets warmer during the peak algal-bloom months, and they won't have to interrupt the oyster-spawning season either.
A NASA satellite takes a picture of Lake Okeechobee every day which shows the area of the Lake's surface covered with cyanobacteria algal. Yesterday the photo showed a bloom covering 40 square miles of the 730 square mile Lake.
Some cyanobacteria produce microcystin, a potent toxin that can irritate the skin and cause liver and kidney damage. It is not yet known whether the current 40-square mile bloom contains any toxins.
