U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces further reductions in Lake Okeechobee releases
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District announced further reductions in releases from Lake Okeechobee which will reduce flows into the Caloosahatchee River Estuary on top of reductions announced last month.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the new reductions began taking effect April 19 and cited dry conditions with allowing the reductions in flows consistent with the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual.
Beginning April 19, the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reduced Lake Okeechobee releases through the S-79 into the Caloosahatchee River Estuary from a target pulse of 1000 cubic yards per second to a target pulse of 650 cubic yards per second.
Those flows represent significant reductions from when the Jacksonville District reduced releases into the Caloosahatchee River Estuary last month from 2,100 cubic feet per second to a target pulse of 1,400 cubic feet per second.
The goal is to lower Lake Okeechobee water levels before the onset of the wet season to allow for recovery of the lake ecology, specifically submerged aquatic vegetation. The operational strategy for these 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 submerged aquatic vegetation to regerminate and regrow. Regrowth of submerged aquatic vegetation in Lake Okeechobee will reduce water turbidity and nutrient concentrations to improve water quality.