Lake Okeechobee is in good shape should the hurricane season bring more storms, Col. Brandon Bowman, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District, explained during an Aug. 9 media briefing.

He said while many parts of the state felt the brunt of Hurricane Debby, the Big O was spared. On Aug. 9, Lake O was at 13.88 feet above sea level, about 4 inches higher than the previous week and about 17 inches lower than this time last year.

Heavy rainfall resulted in high flows through the S-79 (W.P. Franklin Lock), he continued. Most of that flow was from local basin runoff between the Ortona Lock and the W.P. Franklin Lock.

For the seven-day period ending Aug. 8, inflows to the lake averaged 400 cubic feet per second (cfs) and outflows averaged 200 cfs.

There were no lake releases to the St. Lucie Canal at Port Mayaca.

Flows to the Caloosahatchee were averaged just 60 cfs through the Julian Keen Jr. Lock at Moore Haven, and 5,317 cfs through the W.P. Franklin Lock, about 43 miles from Moore Haven. The target flow for the Caloosahatchee River is 2,000 cfs, measured at the Franklin Lock. If local basin runoff meets or exceeds that target, no lake water is released to the river at Moore Haven.

Bowman said there is no capacity for flow to the south due to heavy rainfall south of Lake O. He said they are not trying to lower the lake at this time.

“We are pretty comfortable where the lake is,” he said. 

 East of the lake, the water level of the C-44 reservoir is 8.4 feet deep. The reservoir can safely hold water up to 10 feet deep. The purpose of the reservoir is to hold excess local basin runoff from the C-44 canal to prevent freshwater releases from the C-44 canal through the St. Lucie Lock.  Water from the reservoir is released through the C-44 stormwater treatment area (STA) back into the C-44 canal when water levels allow. USACE keeps the C-44 canal between 14 and 14.5 feet (above sea level) for navigation and water supply.

South of the lake, the flow under the Tamiami Trail is about 2,300 cfs. Water levels in the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) are above schedule due to direct rainfall.

Bowman said they are watching the Atlantic as the hurricane season continues. “The forecast for this year is one of the worst,” he explained. “We just have to see what forms next. We are already tracking a wave in the Atlantic.”

He said they expect the peak of the hurricane season in mid-September.

The Record of Decision on the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) is expected this month. Bowman said Hurricane Debby has “thrown some wrenches into the decision plan” so LOSOM approval may be delayed by a few days.

“LOSOM will give us a lot more flexibility to monitor and manage the lake system,” he said.

The colonel said he shadowed former district commander Col. James Booth to learn more about the district before taking command. He said he is also reading a lot about the history of South Florida, “learning how we got the C&SF (Central and South Florida Flood Control) system and how CERP came about.”

The most recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite imagery shows little algal bloom potential on Lake Okeechobee. Bowman said they are not seeing any algal blooms in the water control structures or on the lake. “We are sitting very well in regards to that issue,” he said.

He said they don’t anticipate any concerns about water supply. “We can never make promises that in a drought there will never be water shortages,” he added.

“We are constantly watching weather, watching lake conditions, working with our partners in SFWMD to make sure we are balancing all of the water needs, all the demands on the lake,” he said. “There are lots of stakeholders. There are people who want water. There are people who don’t want water. We want to make sure we understand everyone’s concerns.”