The level of Lake Okeechobee was at 11.44 feet on April 28, with little water entering the Big O, and high levels of evapotranspiration (the combination of evaporation and plant transpiration.)

For the seven-day period ending April 28, the average structure inflow was just 238 cubic feet per second (cfs) while structure outflows averaged 3,971 cfs.

Flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary, measured at the W.P. Franklin Lock averaged 618 cfs. The estuary needs some freshwater flow in the dry season to prevent saltwater intrusion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has set the target flow at 650 cfs. The minimum flow level (MFL), established by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is 457 cfs, but in the past Lee County officials argued for minimum flow of 800 to 1,000 cfs for the health of the estuary.

For the seven-day period ending April 28, lake releases through the Julian Keen Junior Lock at Moore Haven averaged 1,126 cfs. The Franklin Lock is more than 43 miles from Moore Haven. Along the way, some water is lost to evapotranspiration and water supply.

On the east side of the lake, flow at the Port Mayaca Lock averaged 165 cfs. There was no flow to the St. Lucie River through the St. Lucie Lock, which is more than 20 miles from Port Mayaca. Flow from the lake was for navigation in the St. Lucie Canal and water supply in that basin. The water level in the C-44 reservoir was 4.63 feet. Flow from that reservoir, through a stormwater treatment area, into the St. Lucie Canal averaged 12 cfs.

Flow to the south averaged 3,065 cfs for water supply for urban, agriculture and environmental needs. Lake O is the backup water supply for the City of West Palm Beach in the dry season.

Lake Okeechobee has been at or below 12 feet since April 16, and below 11.5 feet since April 27.

USACE Jacksonville District began releases under Recovery Operations on Dec. 7, 2024. The goal of recovery is to lower Lake Okeechobee water levels before the onset of the wet season to allow for recovery of the lake ecology, specifically submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The operational strategy for these operations slowly brings water levels down by making moderate, non-harmful releases to the estuaries, while also sending maximum beneficial flow south to the Everglades.

Lowering water levels allows light to penetrate to the bottom and allow SAV to germinate and grow during the spring and summer. Regrowth of SAV in Lake Okeechobee will reduce water turbidity and nutrient concentrations.