JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Friday, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave updates on the status of Lake Okeechobee, and the moves they make that could impact us right here in Southwest Florida.
The latest satellite images show blue-green algae covering 380 sq. miles of Lake Okeechobee, which is nearly half of the 780 sq. mile lake. The lake is also a foot higher than this time last year.
With blue-green algae popping up on the Caloosahatchee as well, Fox 4 wanted to know, are these blooms on the river coming from Lake Okeechobee? The short answer from the Army Corps was no.
The Caloosahatchee is already at an increased flow due to water run-off from recent rainfall. Because of that, the Army Corps says releasing any more water from Lake O isn't needed to keep the river at the correct salinity levels right now.
With the algae blooms on Lake O, Colonel James Booth, the Commander of the Jacksonville District, said it was an easy decision to not release.
"Rainfall in the Caloosahatchee is generating enough flow, more than enough flow, that we don't have to make the release decisions,” Colonel Booth explained. “Over the last week, we haven't been releasing east or west, even though we might have algal blooms sitting up against those structures, so that makes it easy. The harder part would be if there was a need to push water or release water, and we have a bloom up against it. So, it would all depend on what the time is and what decision I would make on releases."
Though Lake Okeechobee is at higher levels right now, just over 14 feet, Colonel Booth said it's when the lake gets to 16.5 feet that they get concerned. For now, with all the rain we have had here and the blue-green algae on the lake, the Corps is holding off on releases.
As for the blooms on the Caloosahatchee, the South Florida Water Management District are treating these as local blooms by putting down hydrogen peroxide solutions to break them up.
