Lake Okeechobee

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To promote the protection and restoration of the
Caloosahatchee, its estuary, the Southwest
Florida environment, and the broader South
Florida ecosystem.
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Sanibel Island - scum layer scum balls
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Sanibel canal with scum layer
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Sanibel Island - dead fish
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Bird tracks in the algal bloom
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Green Algae in Caloosahatchee River
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Green Algae in Caloosahatchee River
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Algal tide line (left side)
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Fish kill
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North Fort Myers canal with green algae
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Cape Coral canal and green algae
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Green Algae in Caloosahatchee River
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Slime Poster
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Warning Signs from both coasts
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Rob Jess at Ding Darling NWS with algal mat
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Ding Darling NWS with green algae on mangroves
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Red Drift Algae at Sanibel Lighthouse Beach
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Red Drift Algae - Sanibel Island
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Effect of Caloosahatchee River Water on Red Tide
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Lake Okeechobee

• SHORT LONG TERM SOLUTIONS

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EAA
LNWR
WCAs
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We have reached a pivotal time in the business
of water management. The system of structures
and the policies which guide their use can no
longer provide for the protection of the
environment that is so crucial to the economy of
Florida.
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MAJOR ISSUES

• (HUMAN SAFETY IS THE 1 CONCERN)
• 1 PROBLEM Water Quantity
• Other issues
• Water Quality
• Pulse Release Damage
• Minimum / Maximum Flow Levels
• Shared Adversity
• Short Long Term Solutions

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WATER QUANTITY

• Too much water goes east west.
• Little or no water goes south.
• Old methods of regulating lake releases are no
  longer acceptable, and are not working. We
  either have too much water released into the
  estuaries east west during the wet season, or
  not enough during the dry season when it is
  needed for irrigation and domestic water south.

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WATER QUALITY

• Recent hurricanes dumped large quantities of
  rain and nutrient laden runoff water into Lake
  Okeechobee.
• These hurricanes also stirred up (sloshed) the
  lake bottom causing all the muck which is laden
  with nitrogen, phosphorus and dead organic
  material to become suspended in the water column
  of the lake, causing severely increased turbidity
  levels (decreased light penetration).
• As water levels in the lake increased from
  inflows, it became necessary to release the
  polluted water, with its suspended solids, down
  the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers causing
  severe damage to both estuaries.
• These constant fresh water releases over long
  periods of time are creating severe blue-green
  algal blooms. Along with these algal blooms, the
  harmful nutrients are severely affecting the
  river, the bays, the sea grass beds and all
  marine life that breed and thrive in the rivers
  and estuaries.

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PULSE RELEASESDry season pulse releases
(sudden high volume water flow) are causing
SEVERE damage to waterways estuaries.

• Healthy water flow
• The ideal flows (based on salinity) set by
  the SFWMD and other scientists for Lake O
  releases to the west are 800 cfs in DRY SEASON
  to a maximum of 2,800 cfs in WET SEASON at the
  Franklin Lock Dam.
• A constant flow (24/7) at these amounts should
  support a HEALTHIER ecosystem while assisting in
  maintaining the lake at the desired 11 - 12
  level.
• These are guidelines based on the required fresh
  water necessary to maintain a healthy amount of
  salt water concentration to the sea life
  grasses located in the estuaries.
• This maximum amount maintains a healthy balance
  while any amount over these flow levels causes
  extreme harm to the estuaries because of the
  excessive fresh water.

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SHARED ADVERSITY?

• The ultimate goal is to have environmentally
  safe, proportionate amounts of water flowing in
  3 directions East - West - South.
• Relying solely on reservoirs (C-43) is not a
  permanent solution. There needs to be a canal
  (FLOWAY) system in place that would allow water
  to be released year round to the south, without
  harming agriculture fields. This would ease the
  hardships on the estuaries east and west, while
  bringing back the natural southward flow.
• What percent of the lake water is pumped in from
  EAA (Everglades Agricultural Area)? Occasionally,
  nutrient rich water is pumped back into Lake
  Okeechobee from the EAA.
• How much more water can the southeast coast canal
  system handle without damage? Can more water in
  this area go to tide?
• Can agricultural lands retain water?

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CONFLICT OF INTEREST

• Both the United States Army Corps of Engineers
  (Corps) and the South Florida Water Management
  District (District) have control over the
  direction of flow and the quantity of water
  released from Lake Okeechobee.
• The Corps controls the water elevations and often
  does not agree with the recommendations of the
  District. The Corps primary interest is the
  integrity and maintenance of the INFRASTRUCTURE.
• The District on the other hand, is responsible
  for the volume of water released, the quality of
  the water, and for environmental protection.
  (Agriculture executives - Big Sugar - sit on the
  Governing Board).
• So we have two entities with different agendas
  regulating the same body of water.

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SUMMARY

• Revise the Water Regulation Schedule
• Follow a maximum flow and lake level schedule
  year around.
• Modify the water releases so they are not harmful
  to the estuaries.
• Seasonally constant and continuous releases
  rather than high volume damaging releases.
• Strive to maintain the lake at an average
  elevation of 11 - 12 year round.
• Open US-41 culverts to allow water to flow south
  to Florida Bay.

• Move water in 3 directions year round
• East - West - South
• Assess maximum flows for each direction depending
  on wet or dry seasons.
• All stakeholders must be involved in the
  discussions and be in agreement with the
  solutions.

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SOLUTIONS to the POLLUTION

• Water Treatment
• Dont spend millions of taxpayer dollars and
  years of valuable time building storage
  reservoirs (Acceler8).
• Construct STAs (stormwater treatment areas) along
  the Kissimmee, Caloosahatchee, and the St. Lucie
  rivers as soon as possible. These facilities
  will help clean the water.
• Build STAs both north and south of the lake,
  along the rivers, and along the canal system so
  that we can begin to move water south.
• We recognize the importance of sending clean
  water to the Everglades, which is why additional
  STAs are a critical part of the solution.

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AG Retention

• Let Agriculture, both north and south of the
  lake, retain and filter its storm water runoff on
  privately owned lands during increased or
  emergency water release periods, by closing the
  gates that feed the main canals and rivers.
• We can then use the southern running feeder
  canals such as the Miami(C-123), North River
  (L38), Hillsboro (L-39), and West Palm
  Beach(C-52) canals to move the Lake water south.

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Existing Flow Canals

• Clean and widen the Miami(C-123), North
  River(L38), Hillsboro(L-39), and West Palm
  Beach(C-52) canals to move the Lake water south
  to additional STAs and ultimately to tide south.
• This will also move water in four or more
  southern directions feeding domestic use water
  treatment facilities as well as providing
  hydration for the Everglades.

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I-75 Alligator Alley

• Clean and utilize the entire I-75 canal system
  with its existing bridge culverts to move
  filtered water farther south.
• Many of these bridge culverts and underpasses
  are now standing dry and are not in service.
• Find a method to clean the water to tolerable
  levels along the way.

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US-41 Modified Waters

• This project should be implemented as soon as
  possible, and in particular, the Tamiami Trail
  feature should be built so that additional flows
  can be sent south into Everglades National Park.
  
• While the long-term solution is being built,
  water managers should clean and utilize all of
  the US-41 culverts and spillways. These spillways
  and culverts were never put into service because
  upon completion, they were immediately closed by
  the Corps.

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Dike Safety

• Study dike safety as it relates to the emergency
  lake level and elevate this emergency level to a
  higher range to benefit the river and estuaries.
  
• Col. Carpenter stated that the SFWMD report on
  imminent dike failure was not completely accurate
  and the dike has been and will be maintained
  properly by the Corps of Engineers in the future.
  
• We question whether it makes sense to cause
  annual devastation in the estuaries to protect
  against a few days of potential risk over a
  several decade period.

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Lake Okeechobee Cleanup

• Fund and start the clean-up of Lake Okeechobee
  immediately.
• Very little, if any, money is currently being
  spent on the cleanup of the Lake, though this is
  the main source of the pollution in the rivers
  and estuaries, and also prevents southern water
  movement.

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Kissimmee River

• Continue to fund and expedite the restoration
  of the Kissimmee River oxbows, including
  additional STA filter marshes.
• In addition, a regulatory BMP (Best Management
  Plan) program for all tributary basins (similar
  to the program for the EAA) should be implemented
  to significantly reduce inflows of phosphorus and
  other pollutants.

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FL Dept. of Environmental Protection

• Apply pressure on the Fl Dept. of Environmental
  Protection to do its job and enforce Florida law,
  the Clean Water Act and the Outstanding Florida
  Waters Rule.
• Help prevent the FL DEP from changing the water
  quality standards in Florida. Changes will
  degrade existing bodies of water and/or allow the
  un-permitted movement of polluted water between
  water bodies.
• Set TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) for all
  watershed inlets throughout the State and enforce
  them.

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TSP Release Schedule

• Build into the revised Tentatively Selected Plan
• 1. Protection components for the rivers and
  estuaries.
• 2. Elevation of the Lake emergency level back
  into the 18.5 range.
• 3. Write into the new TSP procedures that would,
  in the event of an approaching critical lake
  level, close the gates leading from the AG
  fields, both north and south of the lake, to the
  main south flowing canals (Miami, etc.) and
  rivers to allow lake water to be evacuated South
  rather than east or west.
• The goal should not be just an incremental
  improvement in the discharges to the estuaries,
  but elimination of the high water releases that
  have caused so much devastation in recent years.

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Conclusion

• Although these concepts may seem extreme, they
  utilize existing Corps of Engineers
  infrastructure and concepts.
• The only true Solution to the Pollution is to
  implement a policy that will benefit the
  environment and not protect special interest
  groups.

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PURRE has already made some important progress

• The US Army Corps of Engineers has decided to
  reassess its Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) for
  Lake Okeechobee releases, taking into
  consideration the impacts to our rivers and
  estuaries.
• Official comments have been submitted to
  government agencies on rulemaking that has
  potential detrimental impacts to our local
  waters.
• Ongoing contact with elected officials and staff
  on all levels local, state and federal to
  stress the importance of our issues. PURRE sent
  its Executive Director to both Tallahassee and
  Washington DC.

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PURRE is now focusing on

• The launch of a public action plan with its
  website and media to further inform its members
  and the public on the threat to our waters. A
  follow-up Save Our Waters forum is planned
  within the next few months.
• Continuing our presence in both Tallahassee and
  Washington, DC, meeting daily with elected
  officials and policymakers.
• Expansion of staff to include a full-time
  Executive Director, Assistant Director and
  support staff.

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Please join PURRE and help _at_www.purre.org
Presentation authored by Mary Rawl, PUURE Photo
credits John Cassani, John Capece Presentation
edited by Charles OConnor