Army Corps to release LOSOM update as stakeholder concerns remain

'We think that this plan hopefully will be refined.'

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is set to release a new update this week on the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), as some stakeholders are still pressing for changes to the document that will govern Lake O releases for the next several years.

The new operating manual will dictate where Lake O’s water resources head and when, leading to predictable battles over the manual’s language.

Lawmakers and community stakeholders have voiced their concerns as the LOSOM language has continued to take shape. With a new update expected Friday, some are still uneasy about the Corps’ direction, though that updated language could very well address some of those concerns.

Col. James Booth, Commander of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, spoke last week as part of a panel at the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Water Permitting School, At the meeting, held in Marco Island, Booth touched on the plan during his talks.

“We, over the last few months, have been working on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS), and also the water control plan,” Booth told attendees.