Its path could head just north of Lake Okeechobee. Why that matters

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Its path could head just north of Lake Okeechobee. Why that matters

Lake Okeechobee is under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch as

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approaches Florida’s west coast on a path that could cut just north of the state’s wellspring to the Everglades.

Restoration and

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to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover ***** were completed in 2023, and the Army Corps said this week it has no concerns about its ability to contain the 730-square-mile lake.

On Monday,

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was about 15.5 feet above sea level, which was 6 inches lower than it was at the same time last year, said Michelle Roberts, chief of corporate communications for the Corps.

“

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did not bring much rain over Lake Okeechobee and the Central and South Florida system, so the lake can accept the water from this storm,” Roberts said about Milton. “The increased safety rating of the ***** allows us to hold water slightly higher if we need to.”

Under an old plan on how to manage lake levels, which are monitored closely for habitat and safety reasons, officials preferred to keep the lake between 12.5 feet and 17.5 feet above sea level. Historically, the lake overflowed its banks to nurture the Everglades. When it was girdled by the *****, monitoring the above-ground levels of water became crucial.

Thousands of people

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when a hurricane came ashore near West Palm Beach and slammed into Lake Okeechobee. The storm washed out a 6-foot earthen berm and pushed a wall of water out of the lake into the surrounding countryside.

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Hurricane Milton is forecast to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida early Thursday morning as a major hurricane.

Roberts said the water levels from the previous management plan haven’t changed much under the new plan, called the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual.

On Wednesday, the Corps said it wanted to assure the public that it is monitoring the lake and the ***** and “at this time” does not have concerns about the safety or lake level.

The ***** was inspected following Hurricane Helene and has been checked again in advance of Hurricane Milton.

“There are no issues with the *****,” Wednesday’s statement said. “As the lake level rises, the frequency of Herbert Hoover ***** inspections increases so that any potential issues are detected and addressed quickly.”

Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, said the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers are getting freshwater runoff from rainfall in the basin but not from Lake Okeechobee.

If the lake reaches higher than 17 feet, she said the Corps may begin maximum discharges of lake water into the brackish waterways. While the Caloosahatchee River prefers a little freshwater, it can be harmful if too much is released. The St. Lucie River prefers less freshwater and Lake Okeechobee releases that dilute the salinity of the waterway are detrimental to its habitat and can exacerbate the growth of toxic blue-green algae.

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Lake Okeechobee as seen from the Herbert Hoover ***** in Canal Point.

The Corps said Wednesday it had no plans to release lake water ahead of Milton’s passage.

“Forecasts are still evolving, and we are tracking that closely,” the statement said. “Based on the National Hurricane Center Milton forecasts, risk at the Herbert Hoover ***** is low.”

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is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to

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for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to *****@*****.tld. 

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post:

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#path #north #Lake #Okeechobee #matters

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