Discharges begin with an unhealthy Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee discharges have begun and it's unclear for how long.

p> Paul Gray with Audubon Florida says the lake is very unhealthy right now and still recovering from Hurricane Irma.

p> "Inflow from Irma with all the nutrients in the water," said Gray.

p> During the month of January in 2016, there was quite a bit of rain bringing on early discharges. A large algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee made its way east.

p> This year we don't have an algae bloom just yet, but Gray says conditions are perfect.

p> "We have conditions similar to 2016; it's going to be summer, it's going to be warm, the water is going to clear up and we've got a lot of nutrients in the lake. Unfortunately, it's a good recipe for possible algae blooms," said Gray.

p> The lake is about three feet higher than it was a year ago.