Lake continues to rise

Less water going to coasts than planned

Posted 10/21/20

Lake Okeechobee continued to rise over the past week despite the attempts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District.

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Lake continues to rise

Less water going to coasts than planned

Posted

LAKE OKEECHOBEE – Lake Okeechobee continued to rise over the past week despite the attempts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District.

On Oct. 21, Lake O was at 16.27 feet above sea level, up from 16.21 one week ago.

On Oct. 14, Col. Andrew Kelly of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered releases averaging 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), measured at the Moore Haven Lock, and releases averaging 1,800 cfs, measured at the St. Lucie Lock.

At the time he explained local basin runoff into the St. Lucie Canal could mean less lake water would be released. He also said they would alter releases as needed to take the Red Tide, local drainage and other factors into consideration.

For the seven-day period ending Oct. 21, flow at Moore Haven from the lake averaged 3,480 cfs. Flow at the Franklin Lock, which included a mixture of lake water and local basin runoff was 5,510. For that same seven days, flow at the Port Mayaca Lock from the lake to the St. Lucie Canal averaged just 331 cfs. Flow at the St. Lucie Lock, which included local basin runoff was 452 cfs.

Flow south averaged 1,283 cfs.

Col. Kelly is expected to hold another media briefing on lake releases on Friday.

lake level, lake releases, water flow

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