Army Corps continues lowering Lake Okeechobee as aquatic grasses suffer from high levels

Steady Lake O releases likely through May as Corps tries to lower lake

Lake Okeechobee releases to the Caloosahatchee River will be consistent for the next several months as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tries to lower the lake to recover lost aquatic vegetation.

The Army Corps is making releases to various parts of the historic Everglades system, which today is comprised of 16 counties and stretches from just south of Orlando to the Florida Keys.

Some parts of the region saw record rains this past summer as several tropical storms and hurricanes hit the Sunshine State.

The heavy rains caused Lake Okeechobee to rise to more than 16 feet above sea level, and high lake levels kill off submerged vegetation by blocking out the needed sunlight.

"It's gone, basically," said Paul Gray, a biologist with Audubon Florida, about the vegetation. "There's 5,000 acres and the goal is 30,000 acres."

Gray said as much as 50,000 acres of submerged grasses have flourished in the lake during drought years like 2007-08.

Considering the lake is almost barren of grass, and several other environmental considerations, the Army Corps decided to open the outflow gates in all directions.

The Caloosahatchee River is a major receiver of Lake Okeechobee discharges as the river is long and the estuary is large, which helps dilute the polluted lake water.