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Click
picture of the lake for daily water level updates or click graph on right for
monthly readings...
Lake Okeechobee waterways have been in the news a
lot recently. In 2004, lake levels increased to a very high elevation
after four hurricanes passed over south Florida. Levels were lowered
primarily via the only available outlets, to coastal estuaries. Unfortunately,
these discharges were very damaging to the estuaries. Then, this past May, the
state of Florida released a navigation report on the structural integrity of the aging
Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds the lake. Headlines can be confusing and
conflicting at times. This special edition of CERP Report
will cover programs to keep the lake’s level lower, reduce nutrients
entering the lake water, and strengthen Herbert Hoover Dike. While very brief, we hope
it will clarify some issues.
Today, Lake Okeechobee is used to store water
from a 4,000-square-mile basin north of the lake. Historically, there were many
more natural storage areas in central and south Florida. Now, most of
these wetlands and uplands have been developed, leaving far fewer places to
store rain. In lieu of these, it is stored in the Big O. The
Hoover Dike allows for additional water storage. However, this additional water
is harmful to the lake’s ecology. |
