On Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division Commander signed a Record of Decision for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM).
This marks the final step in approving the new plan that will replace the 2008 Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule.
This updated water management strategy aims to improve the handling of lake discharges, offering better protection for the environment and enhancing the flexibility of water management operations.
The new LOSOM plan is expected to significantly reduce the frequency of harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf of Mexico.
It will also increase the amount of water directed to the Everglades and Florida Bay, which will address critical water flow needs.
Throughout the five-year development process, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) has played a crucial role by providing modeling, evaluation, and feedback to ensure that LOSOM effectively tackles Southwest Florida's persistent water quality challenges and the associated harmful algal blooms.
“LOSOM won’t solve all of our problems, but it will lower the number of damaging discharges, which transport massive amounts of polluted lake water into our estuarine ecosystems. As more Everglades restoration projects come online, we will be able to worry less about the impact that Lake Okeechobee has on our coastal environment and focus more attention on cleaning up our own watershed," SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis said.
For more information on Lake Okeechobee releases and their impact on water quality, visit here .