Army Corps hopes to lower lake during dry season

By Col. James L. Booth, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Jacksonville District

Hurricanes Ian and Nicole brought destruction and new challenges to our communities, partners, stakeholders, and infrastructure. This year, I met scores of heroes who get up every day, find the strength to persevere despite overwhelming obstacles, and continue to serve and fight for Floridians.

During the height of hurricane emergency response efforts, our decisions were easy to reduce immediate impacts. Now, the question of how to manage all the water in Lake Okeechobee is upon us, and the solution is not an easy one. The lake climbed 4 feet in two months. We finally saw the lake peak at 16.51 feet and many breathed a sigh of relief. We’ve been coordinating with our partner agencies and soliciting their feedback on next steps.

Our strategy to manage Lake Okeechobee this dry season was developed after much reflection, listening and analysis. Our goal is to reduce water levels in Lake Okeechobee before the onset of the wet season by making beneficial releases to downstream users and environments. We’ve been making releases below maximums recommended by our current lake schedule and banking the difference for later. We will use the banked water to sustain releases longer into the dry season, which will help manage stages over the long term and help maintain optimum salinity levels in the Caloosahatchee Estuary.