Q&A Of The Day – Part 3 Who’s Responsible For Florida’s Polluted Waterways?
Bottom Line: Currently The Army Corps of Engineers is considering five different plans for handling future discharges from Lake Okeechobee after repeated demands from the state and pressure from federal officials, namely Congressman Brian Mast. According to Mast the plans would do the following:
- AA: Sends 135,000 acre feet per year south
- BB: Sends 92,000 acre feet per year south
- CC: Sends 162,000 acre feet per year south
- DD: Sends 90,000 acre feet per year south
- EE: Unknown
None of the plans would completely end east-west discharges, though they could reduce them by up to 95%. The hope is that the eventual construction of the EAA reservoir, and possibly a northern one, would be able to account for the remaining excess water in the Lake eventually ending the discharges. With plan “CC” sending the most water south through the Everglades, Mast supports that plan and is advocating for its acceptance. So, if you care about Florida’s waterways, the Everglades and even our drinking water the path forward is this, in this order:
- Army Corps Engineers adopting plan “CC” in July for future discharges from Lake O’
- The construction of the EAA Southern Reservoir from the lake
- Electing an Agriculture Commissioner who will comply with the Clean Water Ways Act and who will prioritize our waterways above the interests of agricultural companies
- The construction of a northern reservoir above Lake O’
The Everglades Restoration Project remains on track, though after $2 billion in funding from the state, Governor DeSantis has called on the Biden administration to add $725 million to aid our efforts. Regarding Florida’s waterways, it’s easy to see how we got here. It’s easy to see who’s an obstacle to progress. Finally, it’s also possible to see a way to turn this around. It’s a matter of making it happen and we’ll all play a role in the outcome one way or another.
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