Starting this week, less water is being released from Lake Okeechobee as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reduces releases along certain waterways, meaning less water will flow down the Caloosahatchee River.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to continue releasing up to 2,100 cubic feet per second, which is more than 13,000 gallons of water per second.
While that may sound like a lot, for perspective, it is less than a quarter of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
This reduction is part of the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) plan. The goal is to keep lake levels between 12 and 15 feet before the rainy season.
Currently, the lake is just a little more than 12 and a half feet.
Sometimes, water releases from Lake Okeechobee can lead to algae blooms and red tide as nutrients from the lake mix with the river and Gulf water.
The aim is to find a balance between water releases and keeping lake levels low before the rainy season.
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