No change to flows from Lake Okeechobee

Published May 19, 2016

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District plans to maintain water discharges from Lake Okeechobee at current rates.

The target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary remains unchanged at a seven-day average of 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam (S-79) located near Fort Myers.  The target flow for the St. Lucie Estuary is a seven-day average of 650 cfs as measured at St. Lucie Lock & Dam (S-80) near Stuart. Additional runoff from any rain in the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie basins could occasionally result in flows that exceed targets.

“Significant rainfall in the entire system has stopped the recession in water levels,” said Jim Jeffords, Jacksonville District Operations Division Chief.  “The level in the lake is still high for this time of year, which is the major factor in our decision to continue flows at current rates.”

Today, the lake stage is 13.88 feet, up 0.24 feet since hitting its low for calendar year 2016 in the last 48 hours.  The Corps will continue to monitor conditions and adjust flows as necessary.

“We are sensitive to environmental conditions throughout the system,” said Jeffords.  “Our current release decision remains lower than what’s authorized under the 2008 Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule.”

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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Contact
John Campbell
904-232-1004
john.h.campbell@usace.army.mil

Release no. 16-032