Isaac's rains mean Lake Okeechobee may need lowering

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1 PLACE AN AD HOME DELIVERY JOBS CARS AUTOS A-Z REAL ESTATE RENTALS MERCHANDISE CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICES Home News Broward Palm Beach Sports Entertainment Travel Lifestyle Business Health Opinion Video SCHOOLS WEATHER HURRICANE HQ TRAFFIC CRIME & SAFETY FLORIDA NATION/WORLD POLITICS BROWARD PALM BEACH CO MIAMI-DADE Home Collections Palm Beach Visit Watiki Water Park The Largest Indoor Water Park in the Dakotas - Watiki Water Park Isaac's rains mean Lake Okeechobee may need lowering September 14, 2012 By Andy Reid, Sun Sentinel One super-soaker storm, and Lake Okeechobee's water supply woes turned into a possible South Florida flooding threat. Recommend 0 2 S S 0 Fairfield Inn & Suites Affordable Rates w/ Spacious Rooms & Free Breakfast Daily. Book Now. Marriott.com/FairfieldInn Tropical Storm Isaac and the rain that followed boosted the lake that serves as South Florida's backup water supply nearly 2 1/2 feet and it's still rising. MiO Mango Peach Shake Things Up with the Power to Change Water w/mio to Mango Peach! KraftBrands.com/MiO Coastal Plumbing Water Systems & Well Equipment Free Water Analysis

2 Now after months of lingering below normal levels, the lake has hit the range where the Army Corps of Engineers considers dumping lake water out to sea. Draining away lake water would ease the strain on the Herbert Hoover Dike considered one of the country's most at risk of failure. But dumping billions of gallons also wastes lake water relied on to back up South Florida water supplies during the typically dry winter and spring. Also, dumping lake water out to sea can have damaging environmental consequences on coastal estuaries leading to fish kills and harming delicate marine habitat. "What a difference one month makes," said Daniel DeLisi, board member for the South Florida Water Management District board. Related Links Tropical Storm Isaac flooding swamps Palm Beach County Related Articles Drought fears won't stop lake releases April 11, 2009 Lake Okeechobee gets big boost from Isaac September 5, 2012 Safety concerns linger as Lake Okeechobee dike fix drags on July 21, 2012 Water Levels Worry Officials September 11, 1993 Lake Releases To River Approved April 28, 2009 Find More Stories About Lake Okeechobee on Friday was 14.9 feet above sea level, 4 feet higher than this time last year. So far, the Army Corps has opted to hold off on lake releases, but that could change if waters keep rising. "The Corps continues to monitor the situation and adjust flows as needed to ensure we find the best solution that considers both public safety and environmental concerns," Corps Spokesman John Campbell said. One big problem is that South Florida doesn't have enough water-storage facilities, which leads to flood control discharges with damaging environmental consequences, said Tom Van Lent, a scientist for the Everglades Foundation. "We need to build more infrastructure," Van Lent said. "We just don't have the capacity to store the water that we need to." Central and western Palm Beach County got socked with 15 inches of rain during Tropical Storm Isaac, flooding streets and some homes. High-water lingered for days in Loxahatchee. For South Florida water managers, flood control needs outweighed environmental concerns during Isaac. That resulted in more drainage than usual into Lake Okeechobee as well as stormwater at times getting diverted around pollution-treatment areas before being pumped into the northern reaches of the Everglades. Also, Wellington was allowed to dump more of its stormwater runoff than usual into conservation areas. The long-term effects of the increase in phosphorus and other pollutants reaching the Everglades aren't yet known, according to the South Florida Water Management District.

3 Palm Beach Lake Okeechobee Alkaline Water...Scam? Find Out Now. We Did The Research Alkaline Water Info From The Pros Mobile Device Management How IT Can Prepare For Managing Smartphones In the Workplace. MaaS360.com/Free-Guide Isaac's flooding would have lasted longer if steps hadn't been taken to get more stormwater flowing south into the Everglades, according to the district. "That water has to go somewhere," said Ernie Barnett, the district's director of Everglades policy. "This is one of those trade-offs We did the right thing." For much of the past year, West Coast communities have been lobbying for sending Lake Okeechobee water into the Caloosahatchee River to bring low-level infusions of freshwater that help water quality and coastal fishing grounds. But that need went away after Isaac. And flood-control releases from the lake to the east and west bring much larger quantities of water that can hurt the estuaries. Large infusions of lake water east into the St. Lucie River and west into the Caloosahatchee River can throw off the balance of fresh and salt water in coastal estuaries and bring pollution that can lead to fish kills and damage marine habitat. If the Army Corps proceeds with lake releases, they should be low-level releases that "keep in mind the health of the estuaries," DeLisi said. Increased water levels have been good for the environmental health of Lake Okeechobee; returning water to marshes rimming the lake that had dried out during recent droughts. But as the water creeps up, it also raises safety concerns about the lake's dike. The dike is in the midst of repairs intended to strengthen the 70-year-old, earthen structure that protects lakeside communities from flooding. The Army Corps of Engineers tries to keep lake levels between 12.5 and 15.5 feet. While the Corps last week projected that the lake's rise would stop at 14.5 feet, it's now approaching 15 feet. With more than two months of hurricane season still to go, protecting the dike "is obviously a large consideration" when it comes to managing Lake Okeechobee levels, according to Lt. Thomas Greco of the Army Corps.

4 Before farming and development spread across South Florida, water from Lake Okeechobee used to naturally overlap the lake's southern shore and flow south to replenish the Everglades. The lake's dike was built to corral that water, guarding against flooding and using the lake to supplement South Florida water supplies. With few other storage options, when lake water levels rise too high the main option for flood-prevention is to dump it out to sea or Water Efficiency Experts Innovative design & implementation of water conservation projects. Holiday Inn Express Hotel Official Site. Free Hot Breakfast! Call or Book Online. Featured Articles Some fancy neighborhoods open gates to Section 8 MORE: 10 must-see places to visit in Florida Walmart apologizes for rejecting school chorus on 9/11 Low white blood cell count not always a sign of medical problem Low-cost cell phones for teens, seniors HGTV giving away Miami condo $20 savings coupon at Festival Flea Market Program gives free cell phones to low-income families in Florida Beware needless fees in collecting unclaimed money

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