The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District will make an additional reduction in flows from Lake Okeechobee beginning this weekend.
The Corps will initiate a seven-day pulse release starting tomorrow (April 22). The new average target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary is 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam (S-79) located near Fort Myers. The new average target flow for the St. Lucie Estuary is 950 cfs as measured at St. Lucie Lock (S-80) near Stuart. Additional runoff from any rain in the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie basins could occasionally result in flows that exceed targets.
“The lake level continues to recede,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds, Jacksonville District Deputy Commander for South Florida. “As the lake drops, we are reducing the amount of water being discharged as we balance the multiple purposes of water in Lake Okeechobee.”
Today, the lake stage is 14.56 feet, down nearly two feet since it peaked at 16.40 feet on February 8. The Corps will continue to monitor conditions and adjust flows as necessary.
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. 16-029