STUART, Fla., July 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to reduce the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee beginning this weekend in an effort to stem the tide of blue-green algae that has swept across parts of South Florida.
The move comes less than a day after Gov. Rick Scott and Martin County declared separate states of emergency as a result of the thick algae sludge that has invaded waterways and beaches. Col. Jason Kirk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville district commander, said reducing the flow coming out of the freshwater lake, the largest in the state, "should bring some degree of relief to the estuaries and allow salinities to recover."
The Corps of Engineers typically keeps the lake levels between 12.5 feet and 15.5 feet above sea level to stop flooding across the South Florida region. Fresh water released from the lake, along with storm water and septic tank runoff, intermingles with salt water and creates conditions ripe for algae blooms. The bloom is made worse by warm, stagnant waters.
"Our water managers have dealt with such large quantities of rain and runoff entering the lake that it would cover the entire state of Delaware in 2 feet of water," he said. "However, after visiting with local elected officials in Martin County yesterday and viewing the algae first hand, we felt compelled to take action, even though we need to remain vigilant in managing the level of Lake Okeechobee."
The governor's emergency order was originally for Martin and St. Lucie counties on the Atlantic coast. Palm Beach County on the state's east coast and Lee County on the state's west coast were later added. The order directs state environmental agencies, including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to take actions to address the blooms. That includes reducing the flow of water into Lake Okeechobee and creating a hotline for residents to report algae blooms. Scott also called on the federal government to quickly approve permits for water management programs. The blooms are suspected to have originated in Lake Okeechobee, officials said.
