Right now, 295 square miles of Lake Okeechobee is covered by algae, according to NOAA. The typical concern with Lake Okeechobee is that water releases into the Caloosahatchee River and can contain that blue-green algae.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announcing this week that they will reduce target flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River beginning Saturday, as lake levels remain steady due to drier conditions and local basin runoff has been adequate to maintain salinity levels in the estuary. Releases into the caloosahatche will be reduced from 790 cubic feet per second to 650 cubic feet per second at the W.P. Frankin Lock and Dam in Alva.
Lt. Col. Todd Polk, Jacksonville District Deputy Commander for South Florida says," Lake levels continue to remain fairly steady when they are typically rising at this time of year. We’ve had drier conditions and very little tropical activity recently. In addition, there has not been much flow into the lake from the Kissimmee Basin to the north for several months, and the chain of lakes, though slowly coming up, are still fairly low. Our partners at the South Florida Water Management District recommended a 650 cfs flow rate to the Caloosahatchee, and we are in agreement with their recommendation. This slightly reduced flow target will continue to provide beneficial flows to the Caloosahatchee estuary.”
