# Can someone fill me in on the Okeechobee discharge situation?



## jhreels

Sorry, just realized I may have put this in the wrong section. Probably belongs in 'Environment'

If an admin wants to move it feel free.


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## Smackdaddy53

The entire coast was fine until man lost respect for the environment. There’s nothing natural about anything that’s going on here or in Florida. Dams, over harvesting oysters and pollution are just a few of the contributing factors that effect our bays here and definitely over there. I’m not sure about the oyster situation in Florida but the water quality issues are man made.


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## SomaliPirate

Long story short: Sugar barons own the land around Lake O. They want it nice and dry so that they can continue to grow sugar. So they have a dike around the lake which prevents it from flowing south. To prevent flooding, they shoot all the shitty fertilizer water into the St. Lucie and Loxahatchee to the east and west respectively. Too much fresh water with too much nitrogen goes east and west, not enough water filters through the glades and goes south. 95% of the residents are transplant Yankees and only care about their golf courses, strip malls and canal front properties so nothing gets done. My wife is from Martin County so her family keeps me up to date on the circus down there.


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## krash

Its for sure Human decisions and lack of backbone to stand up to the problem and fix it. It is a man made issue, especially the Lake O discharge.. unfortunately there are multiple contributing issues... failing ****, polution, development, and population explosion, governmental decision to ignore the people and voters...

What do we the people think, MPO is it SUCKS.


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## jhreels

Thanks for the input guys. Sounds like the land isn't naturally suitable for sugar planting?


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## SomaliPirate

jhreels said:


> Thanks for the input guys. Sounds like the land isn't naturally suitable for sugar planting?


Prior to the rim canal and dike, most all of the land south of O was a wide shallow river which flowed extremely slowly to Florida bay.


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## Smackdaddy53

Too damn many people and we just keep letting more in. When Ed and I were driving through Florida a couple of weeks ago it looked like a third world country.


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## DBStoots

These are not my photographs (credit: Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch and Ed Lippisch). They were taken recently and show the disaster that has occurred in the Stuart, FL area (Sewall's Point, St. Lucie Inlet, etc.) out as far as 2 miles into the ocean. This was 4 days after the most recent discharges started. The grass flats have died out and the reefs are dying. This was once one of the most biologically diverse areas in the country. Repeated discharges from Lake O are responsible. So sad.


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## yobata

DBStoots said:


> These are not my photographs (credit: Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch and Ed Lippisch). They were taken recently and show the disaster that has occurred in the Stuart, FL area (Sewall's Point, St. Lucie Inlet, etc.) out as far as 2 miles into the ocean. This was 4 days after the most recent discharges started. The grass flats have died out and the reefs are dying. This was once one of the most biologically diverse areas in the country. Repeated discharges from Lake O are responsible. So sad.
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Gross. Thanks for posting


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## krash

SomaliPirate said:


> Prior to the rim canal and dike, most all of the land south of O was a wide shallow river which flowed extremely slowly to Florida bay.


Prior to the hi-ways, mainly the Turnpike there was a long winding river that meandered southwards naturally filtering and evaporating water as it slowly made its way down through the sheet flow system into the everglades and out to Florida Bay and the Gulf... then people came, farmers started growing grass, sugar and cattle, developer's poured a concrete jungle, people started flushing their toilets into the septic tanks, and now you see the result....


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## Pierson

It is crazy too how instant the runoff has an effect on the waterways


DBStoots said:


> These are not my photographs (credit: Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch and Ed Lippisch). They were taken recently and show the disaster that has occurred in the Stuart, FL area (Sewall's Point, St. Lucie Inlet, etc.) out as far as 2 miles into the ocean. This was 4 days after the most recent discharges started. The grass flats have died out and the reefs are dying. This was once one of the most biologically diverse areas in the country. Repeated discharges from Lake O are responsible. So sad.
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This makes me want to fight someone!

That inlet is such a cool place. I have never seen such a gorgeous area with so many big fish. We would anchor at the sand bar in beautiful blue water among the weekend party crowd, cast net mullet right off the sand, walk to a cut with beer in hand and land monster snook, jacks, blues, and trout. Never have I seen a party sand bar scene with schools of healthy fish swimming under the boats. As soon as the rains come and the dumping starts you get that shitty dead water. Everything leaves. All the grass dies. Everything smells. Its almost instantaneous. It seriously bumms me out when I see pictures like that.


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## sjrobin

In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, I may not know what the people are thinking, but I know what they should be thinking. Vote the environment. It is the only issue that will make a difference in your life.


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## mwolaver

krash said:


> Prior to the hi-ways, mainly the Turnpike
> ....


Probably mean Tamiami Trail, not Turnpike? Barron Collier's road from Naples to Miami is what originally blocked the sheet flow. But you are certainly right on about the roads....


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## krash

mwolaver said:


> Probably mean Tamiami Trail, not Turnpike? Barron Collier's road from Naples to Miami is what originally blocked the sheet flow. But you are certainly right on about the roads....


No not the Trail, and perhaps not the T-pike directly, but it was the N/S connection's that the core thought it would be a good idea to straighten out the slow moving meandering river's cause it would be easier to build straight roads....

Here is an extract from a posting about re-curving the Kissimmee River 
"federal and state officials did to the Kissimmee River in Central Florida. They straightened the river in the 1960s into a canal to drain swampland and make way for the state's explosive growth. It worked — and it created an ecological disaster"

The Trail created yet a different ecological issue blocking or completely changing the flow in the head of Everglade National Park.


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## DBStoots

Read the historical novel "A Land Remembered" and you'll get an idea of what Florida was like before millions of people moved to the area south of Lake O. The water quality problems are complex so the solutions are not easy. Sadly, we all probably contribute to the degradation of our state's waters.


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## Backcountry 16

Nutrient rich what a joke let's call it what it is pollution it's not only lake O it's all the home owners that live on the water that have to have their lawn greener than their neighbors. Populated in Ft Myers in late 60's 34,000 populated today 375,000 plus do the math not hard to figure that out. When I was a kid we caught sharks in the caloosahatche river all summer along with tarpon snook and even seatrout as far as the railroad tracks very sad to see what has happened down here in southwest Florida. And itsi not getting better anytime soon.


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## Guest

Backcountry 16 said:


> Nutrient rich what a joke let's call it what it is pollution it's not only lake O it's all the home owners that live on the water that have to have their lawn greener than their neighbors. Populated in Ft Myers in late 60's 34,000 populated today 375,000 plus do the math not hard to figure that out. When I was a kid we caught sharks in the caloosahatche river all summer along with tarpon snook and even seatrout as far as the railroad tracks very sad to see what has happened down here in southwest Florida. And itsi not getting better anytime soon.


My Grandpa used to tell me stories about hunting/fishing what is now cape coral. So very sad what is happening to our beautiful state! Just what I’ve witnessed here in my lifetime is enough to make a man sick! I am 7th generation cracker so this state and our resources are in my blood. We need to come together and be heard, we can all complain about it here but that’s not solving the issue. We need to stand up for what is right and get the river of grass flowing again! My simple mind don’t know how, but if someone here does let’s make it happen! I’m in it to win it!


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## 7WT

All true. Add to this the continued CO2 we continue to pump into the atmosphere which injects into the ocean and whaLa red tide, hydrogen sulfide, dead everything, and eventually dead us. This is Global Warming, Climate change or whatever name we want to apply. Its us, sure the coal, oil, gas producers pushed it, add greed. The more I learn the more I realize how much danger we are already in. If we made an immediate change from carbon production the prognosis remains very bad and if we don't. Not hard to figure that out. No exaggeration here, unfortunately. The fish death we see and I just saw thousands dead off Boca Grande. No tarpon in the pass or on the beaches, heck we couldn't even breathe. The fish were a mile out, out of the tide. Wish it was only an unusual event and not a usual one which will be getting worse.


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## Stevie

WTF? What the Florida?


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## noeettica

BOHICA !!!

http://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ap...ll-resume-flushing-water-from-lake-okeechobee

MIAMI (AP) — Water releases from Lake Okeechobee toward both Florida coasts will resume Friday amid political backlash and a toxic algae bloom.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flushes water from the lake to reduce pressure on its aging dike. In a statement Thursday, Col. Jason Kirk said Okeechobee's rising water levels pose a major flood risk to nearby communities.

Coastal communities say the discharges spread toxic algae, threatening tourism and health.

Senate and gubernatorial candidates in both parties have made the discharges a campaign issue in a crucial election year.

The Trump administration has approved a new Everglades reservoir to store more water south from the lake, but Congress must approve those plans.

Gov. Rick Scott issued an emergency order Monday giving state agencies more resources to respond to the algae.


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## krash

The circle of death continues.... but the Core never fixes the ****, the polluters never get charged, SFWMD continues to drain off the canals S. of the LAke, and the politician's still dance and lie.


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## Backcountry 16

krash said:


> The circle of death continues.... but the Core never fixes the ****, the polluters never get charged, SFWMD continues to drain off the canals S. of the LAke, and the politician's still dance and lie.


Well said there same old shit different pile.


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## Guest

Just a thought here. We are destroying a resource! With the loss of that resource, tackle sales will drop, boat sales will drop, motor sales will drop, clothing sales will drop, bait and tackle stores will disappear, hotels and b and b will lose a lot of business, tire sales will drop, marine repair facilities will lose out on a lot of business, resturaunts will lose business and some will go under, just to name a few! I believe these all play a greater impact on our economy than sugar! If we can make these folks understand what the loss of this precious resource will inevitably do to their bottom dollar then we can maybe save our resource! Now, which one of ya’ll smarter than I folks wants to write the petition for us to sign? Let’s come together and make the glades, big O, the goon, boca all big news again that they can not sweep under the rug like they have in the past and continue to do! I’ll sign it, I’ll fight for it, “Let’s get to work”!


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## crboggs

We definitely have some serious issues to address but its hard to separate the reality from the mob narrative at times. Even guys who are on the water and know where to find fish are getting attacked and shouted down if they go against the mob...

https://thecapitolist.com/pat-price-toxic-algae-not-affecting-stuart-82001/

The mob will say that article is sugar backed propaganda. It may be...I don't know.

Ultimately my point is the fact that the mob has arisen...this cannot be denied.

And the mob doesn't tolerate any perspective other than their own...no matter how legitimate it may be...


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## 7WT

Karenia Brevis is the algae responsible for "red tide." It has been around and impacting the oceans for a long time. Starts 10 to 40 miles offshore. Pollution via nutrients can increase growth of red tide in coastal areas. Most alarming and what now and increasingly in years to come is how carbon impacts the algae. From science direct: At higher _p_CO2 concentrations _Karenia brevis_ growth rates are significantly increased.For the complete article see:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988314000961


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## krash

If you want to get involved and see/hear what the government Army Core is currently doing.... go to a meeting and see why its moving at a governmental snails pace.

News Release: Corps announces public meetings for Lake Okeechobee Watershed study, 6-8 p.m. in Lehigh Acres (Tues. July 31), Stuart (Wed. Aug. 1) and Okeechobee (Thurs. Aug. 2).

News Release: Corps announces public meetings for Lake Okeechobee Watershed study
http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Media...meetings-for-lake-okeechobee-watershed-study/

Summary:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announces a series of public meetings for the Draft Integrated Project Implementation Report (PIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP) from 6-8 p.m. in Lehigh Acres (Tues. July 31), Stuart (Wed. Aug. 1), and Okeechobee (Thurs. Aug. 2).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corps announces public meetings for Lake Okeechobee Watershed study

Contact 
Erica Skolte
561-340-1527
[email protected]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announces a series of public meetings for the Draft Integrated Project Implementation Report (PIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP). 

Please join us at the series of public meetings scheduled from 6-8 p.m.:

Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Lee County Mosquito and Hyacinth Control Districts
15191 Homestead Road
Lehigh Acres, FL 33971

Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Indian River State College
Wolf High-Technology Center
2400 SE Salerno Road
Stuart, FL 34997

Thursday, August 2, 2018
Indian River State College
Williamson Conference and Education Center
2229 NW 9th Avenue
Okeechobee, FL 34972

The Corps proposes an above-ground wetland attenuation feature (WAF) and several aquifer storage & recovery (ASR) wells in an area north of the lake. The proposed plan also calls for restoration of 5,300 acres of wetlands in the area. The draft document was released for review on July 6, 2018. 

"This plan provides additional flexibility for managing water north of the lake in a manner consistent with Everglades' restoration goals," said Lisa Aley, Planning Technical Lead for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project. "We hope that people join us for the public meetings, and look forward to hearing from people living and working in the area on this proposed plan."

The Draft LOWRP Integrated PIR/EIS document is available at: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/LOWRP/

The Corps will accept public comment through August 20.

Those interested in submitting comments may do so electronically at [email protected]


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## noeettica

Great stuff , learning a lot 

sounds like progress being made 

We need progress NOT a Mob mentality ...

"And the mob doesn't tolerate any perspective other than their own...no matter how legitimate it may be..."


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## POCtied

give them sugar and television and they'll never....


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