Fighting Toxic Lake Okeechobee Discharges
Toxic algae discharges from Lake Okeechobee threaten our environment, our economy, and the short and long term health of exposed Floridians. The following resources help track existing harmful algae blooms and the risk of toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
- U.S. Farm Bill/Toxic Algae explainer: How does federal policy in the U.S. Farm Bill contribute to toxic algae in Florida? Find out here: https://www.everglades.org/us-farm-bill-toxic-algae-connection/
- Tell Congress to end damaging sugar protections in the Farm Bill. Add your name.
- HAB FAQ: What exactly are harmful algae blooms? This round up of frequently asked questions explains the causes, different types and how the management of Lake Okeechobee has made communities vulnerable to human health threats: https://www.everglades.org/harmful-algae-bloom-faq/
- LOSOM News: Keep up with all the latest information as Friends of the Everglades fights to ensure an equitable Lake Okeechobee management plan: https://www.everglades.org/category/losom/
- Lake O levels: The Army Corps of Engineers provides an update on Lake Okeechobee water levels every 24 hours: http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml
- Toxic algae testing:Florida DEP provides weekly reports on Lake Okeechobee algal blooms, including data points marking sampling locations and results of areas that have been tested most recently: https://floridadep.gov/AlgalBloomWeeklyUpdate
- The big picture: http://eyeonlakeo.com/ provides an archive of satellite imagery that tracks algal blooms on Lake Okeechobee when they are visible from space, live and historical data from state and federal water managers, and easy-to-read maps that identify nutrient pollution and track water quality throughout South Florida waterways
- Action alerts: At Friends of the Everglades, we’ll keep you on top of news as it happens and offer action items if and when we need public comment and support through our Latest news tab on everglades.org
Lake Okeechobee Operations
The Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) is being developed by the Army Corps of Engineers and will impact the health of these waters for years to come. Lake Okeechobee’s water levels influence ecological conditions in the Everglades, the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, Florida Bay and the lake itself. The Army Corps hosted a series of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public scoping meetings in 2019 to determine the priorities in managing Lake Okeechobee via LOSOM. Friends of the Everglades helped to activate public participation in these meetings and worked with other like-minded organizations to prioritize human health and safety through LOSOM.
As stated by the Army Corps of Engineers, “The purpose of this effort is to reevaluate and define operations for the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule that take into account additional infrastructure that will soon be operational. The additional infrastructure that will be taken into consideration includes the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation, Kissimmee River Restoration Project, as well as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir and C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area.”
The Army Corps needs guidelines in LOSOM to ensure human health is not threatened by toxins in cyanobacteria blooms that originate in Lake Okeechobee and are discharged to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, as witnessed in 2016, 2018 and years prior. The Army Corps’ previous protocol, Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule 2008, has been proven inadequate for protecting human health. The USACE has a duty to protect water supply and flood control — but not at the expense of human health.
The science is settled, now we need action. LOSOM alone cannot solve all of our water quality issues, but it is one substantial way we can address cleaning up our waterways.