OKEECHOBEE – An AguaCulture project will remove thousands of pounds of phosphorus and nitrogen from Lake Istokpoga.

At the June 7 meeting of the County Coalition for the Responsible Management of Lake Okeechobee, the St. Lucie & Caloosahatchee Estuaries and the Lake Worth Lagoon, Mike Elfenbein of the Cypress Chapter of the Izaak Walton League had some good news.

In 2022, AguaCulture conducted a demonstration project on Lake Okeechobee, using mechanical harvesters to remove invasive plants from the lake, then dumping them into a machine that liquified them, and pumped the liquid through miles of hose to be spread on pastures.

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) evaluation of the project came out in March, Elfenbein explained. “The great news is the result of that project, we have been able to apply that innovation technology to other water bodies in the northern Everglades.”

“We will begin a project to take 10,000 pounds of phosphorus and 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of nitrogen out of Lake Istokpoga,” he said.

Instead of using mechanical harvesters to gather aquatic vegetation, this project will use a device similar to a pool vacuum to remove decayed vegetative material from the bottom of the lake, he said.

Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel asked the coalition members to support mechanical harvesting of aquatic plants that need to be removed from waterways.

“Spraying the vegetation dumps those nutrients that were in those plants right back into the ecosystem,” he said. Mechanical removal is more expensive but is more cost-effective in the long run, he argued.

“Thirteen counties passed resolutions asking the state to move from spraying to mechanized extraction. That, over time, I believe will best improve the water quality,” said McDaniel.