Damaging freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee to continue

What's been described as a dark wall of freshwater is moving miles into the Gulf of Mexico, and that plume could grow larger through the weekend as a tropical disturbance moves into the area.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Lee County this weekend, which will only add to the damage the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary have experienced this year.

The combination of heavy rainfall, stormwater runoff and Lake Okeechobee releases have driven freshwater miles into the Gulf of Mexico and has made the Caloosahatchee estuary virtually disappear.