Army Corps of Engineers gives positive cues to Lee County
After meeting with Lee County commissioners and other county leaders, Col. Andrew Kelly had a message during his press conference recently that signaled he has been listening.
The commander of the Jacksonville district of the Army Corps of Engineers said the new plan for releases that is currently being worked on, will take steps to address concerns about the impacts from Lake Okeechobee releases on local estuaries. The high-volume releases in the fall and winter have been a constant source of frustration for residents, business owners and environmental groups.
“We understand over time how high-volume releases impact our estuaries,” Kelly said Friday.
Kelly signaled that added infrastructure at the Herbert Hoover Dike, a 143-mile dam that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, “is significantly better” and will allow the lake to tolerate more capacity. He said he is “convinced that the next lake schedule is going to be better.
“We think we will be able to time it so we get less releases to the estuaries,” Kelly said.
The preferred alternative for the plan, known as the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, is expected to be chosen in July from six models, and will then undergo reviews from stakeholders. A draft environmental review would begin in February. “We are not going to do it by ourselves,” he said.
Lee County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Kevin Ruane (R-Sanibel) recently met with Kelly and said the situation is “much better than it was a month ago” when he wrote a letter expressing frustration with Lake Okeechobee releases. He said county staff will review recommendations the Army Corps of Engineers makes in July and will advocate for models that benefit the county the most.
In the past, Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann said the county wasn’t paid attention to in plans for the releases. Mann believes that has now changed. “We’ve really spoken loudly,” Ruane said. Ruane said Kelly has been the best out of five colonels he has worked with on the issue over the years. Ruane credited Kelly with listening to local political leaders in addressing releases to Lee County.
Kelly, who is planning to retire this fall, said on Friday, June 25, that Lake Okeechobee stood at 12.63 feet which is slightly higher than the level from a week before with the rainy season upon us. The level is about a quarter of a foot higher than last year despite an “extremely dry May,” he said.
Kelly said the month of May also presented Lake Okeechobee with its highest amount of algae cover, which the state has been seeking to curtail. Last month, a new product was introduced to combat the blue-green algae which has been blamed for leading to the formation of red tide and other negative environmental impacts. Kelly said a new product, which was developed by an Israeli company, is showing “fantastic results.” Kelly said the algae was dissipating but has recently made a resurgence, particularly at the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam on the eastern side of the lake.
The algae problem is expected to be worse than normal this year, Kelly said.
The Army Corps of Engineers is currently releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into the local estuaries at a pace that the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation considers optimal. “Water clarity around Sanibel and Lee County remains good at this time,” the foundation stated in their latest water quality report.
Kelly said work continues on the storage basins and reservoirs that the Army Corps of Engineers expects will further lessen impacts on local waterways in Lee County.