Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers were in Ft. Myers last night to get public input on their proposed schedule for water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Hundreds of people showed up.
Releases of nutrient laden fresh water from Lake Okeechobee down the Caloosahatchee River have wreaked environmental havoc with the estuary. Environmental officials and others in Lee County want the releases cut back, but under the proposed new plan they could increase. Kurt Harclerode is Operations Manager for Lee County Natural Resources.

“the new schedule calls for a limit on the elevation of lake Okeechobee – now a lower elevation – which is a constraint – and that’s to protect people around lake Okeechobee and the Herbert Hoover dyke, but what that means is that water needs to be removed sooner and more rapidly and unfortunately that water is in most cases coming our way.”

Harclerode says the Corps of Engineers needs to explore other options to lower the lake level, including sending water south from the lake and adding more storage to the north.