The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has announced a slight reduction in flows for its next pulse release to the Caloosahatchee Estuary.
The adjustment in discharges will take place tomorrow (June 5). The new target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary will be a seven-day average of 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at W.P. Franklin Lock (S-79) near Fort Myers. No water from the lake is expected to be released through St. Lucie Lock (S-80) near Stuart. However, flows at either the Franklin or St. Lucie structures could occasionally be exceeded by runoff from rain that accumulates in the Caloosahatchee or St. Lucie basins—those flows will be allowed to pass through the spillways as necessary.
“The lake level continues to drop,” said Jim Jeffords, Operations Division Chief for the Jacksonville District. “However, all forecasts are still trending wet over the coming days and weeks. We will continue to monitor and adjust as necessary.”
Today, the lake stage is 12.66 feet. It is currently in the Base Flow Sub-Band as defined by the 2008 Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS). Under current conditions, LORS authorizes the Corps to discharge up to 650 cfs combined to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie systems.
For more information on water level and flows data for Lake Okeechobee, visit the Corps’ water management website at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/WaterManagement.aspx.
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Release no. 15-059