Analysis of Lake Okeechobee Water Levels & Discharges - March 28th, 2024
Bottom Line: It’s been six weeks since the Army Corps of Engineers announced something conservationists cringed at hearing, enhanced discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The announced discharge schedule suggested over 60% of the water would be released west into the Caloosahatchee River with 37% of the discharged water to be discharged to the east into the St. Lucie River and through the C-51 canal into the Lake Worth Lagoon. The Corps stated they wanted to bring water levels down before the start of the rainy season and hurricane season. Discharges into these estuaries in prior years have contributed to devastating environmental impacts including a loss of over 90% of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon over the prior decade leading to a record setting manatee starvation crisis. While much of the emphasis on eastern discharges historically has centered on toxic algae when released during spring and summer months, any discharges of fresh water into the brackish waters of the estuaries is unnatural and potentially damaging.
In January there was good news related to Lake Okeechobee discharges as the first of three phases of the EAA Reservoir project was completed. The EAA Reservoir is designed to hold excess water from Lake ‘O, clean it and release it south into the Everglades which is the natural flow of water from the lake. However, while the Army Corps has had the chance to begin using the reservoir while the other two phases are completed in coming years, there’s no indication that’s a priority for them as of now.
Significant environmental harm from the latest round of Lake Okeechobee discharges is already being monitored by the state and marine biologists. A significant drop in salinity levels has been monitored in the St. Lucie River which threatens marine life. On Florida’s west coast a green algal bloom has been monitored in the Caloosahatchee River leading to concerns about red tide developing. Despite having competed the Lake Okeechobee Dike restoration project, which raised the capacity of the lake by three feet to 20 feet, in addition to the completion of the first phase of the EAA southern reservoir project, the Army Corps of Engineers is keeping a similar discharge schedule to previous years. An especially rainy “dry season” has been the catalyst for the discharges. As of Tuesday, discharges had been monitored at levels that are known to be “damaging” for 29 consecutive days – and there’s no indication from the Army Corps that will change anytime soon.
Here’s a look at Lake ‘O levels that are the focus of the Army Corps’ decision making (measured in feet):
- February 15th, 2024 (start of discharges): 16.4
- March 27th, 2024: 15.4
- Average for this date: 14.3
What we see is that since the onset of enhanced discharges in mid-February Lake Okeechobee levels have dropped by a foot, however, are still a little more than a foot higher than is typical for this time of the year. Essentially, we’re not quite halfway to the level the Army Corps has historically been more comfortable with approaching rainy and hurricane season. Meanwhile, as for where the water is being discharged... It’s been mostly consistent with the original guidance the Army Corps provided. The most recent 7-day average shows 64% of the discharged water having been sent to the west, with 33% being sent east, and only 2% sent south.
It’s obviously concerning that significant environmental issues have arisen and are being monitored and that we’re not quite halfway through enhanced discharges, that is if the Army Corps doesn’t reverse its current course which they should consider doing.