Cleaning up the big lake, maybe

 

Lake Okeechobee, the really large lake in southern Florida, is a vital resource for the environment of much of the Everglades, as well as a freshwater source. It's also used for recreation and fishing. The problem is, it's also used as a place to receive runoff from all the agriculture taking place north of it, meaning that it gets way too much nutrient input, which has led to algal blooms, sometimes of the toxic variety.

So now the Army Corps of Engineers, which has been engineering changes to the water flow all over southern Florida for decades, is going to try to reverse some of those changes to make the lake and the ecosystem healthier.

New Lake Okeechobee Plan Aims for More Water for the Everglades, Less Toxic Algae

Instead of prioritizing flood control above all else, the strategy is designed to balance all the needs of the watershed. “This plan marks a cultural shift on the part of the Army Corps of Engineers.

"Now that a $1.8 billion rehabilitation of the dike is complete, the Army Corps will have more flexibility to hold more water in the lake, reducing the harmful discharges [of water with toxic algae]. It is the first time a lake plan has acknowledged the risk of toxic algae or recognized the need to send more water south for the Everglades, said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, an advocacy group. Her group said the plan allows for releases when the lake level climbs above 16.5 to 17 feet.

“Acknowledgement does not always equate to action,” she said. “There are no guarantees we will be protected from harmful discharges.”

The Everglades Foundation, another advocacy group, estimated the releases east to the St. Lucie River will decrease by 75 percent, and discharges west to the Caloosahatchee River will decline by 60 percent. Flows south to the Everglades will increase by 242 percent.

A more robust Lake Okeechobee means better water supply for the vast sugar cane and vegetable fields south of the lake. But the higher water does represent a drawback for the lake itself. Decades of pollution have clouded the lake’s once-crystalline water, and when the water is too deep, less sunlight can reach the vegetation undulating beneath the surface. The vegetation supports the gamefish popular among anglers and serves as a natural water filter removing the pollution from the water, said Steve Davis, chief science officer at the Everglades Foundation."

So I guess you could say, one step at a time -- at least it's in the right direction.

Below, what a toxic cyanobacteria bloom in the lake looks like from the vantage point of space.