The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District will reduce discharges from Lake Okeechobee as it continues to implement its transition plan toward dry-season rates.
“We are in the third week of our transition plan, which reduces flows to the Caloosahatchee to dry season levels and keeps water releases at the St. Lucie at zero,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds, Jacksonville District Deputy Commander for South Florida.
Starting Friday, January 5, the Corps will reduce flows from Lake Okeechobee down to 7-day pulse releases with weekly average target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary of 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam (S-79) near Fort Myers, and 0 cfs for the St. Lucie Estuary as measured at St. Lucie Lock & Dam (S-80) near Stuart.
|
3-week Transition Plan: 7-Day Average Flow Targets for Pulse Releases
|
|
Date
|
W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam (S-79)
|
St. Lucie Lock & Dam (S-80)
|
|
Dec. 22
|
2,000
|
500
|
|
Dec. 29
|
1,500
|
0
|
|
Jan. 5
|
650
|
0
|
Today, the lake stage is 15.48 feet, down 0.08 feet since last week.
The Corps will continue to monitor conditions and adjust flows as necessary. For more information on water level and flows data for Lake Okeechobee and other parts of south Florida, visit the Corps’ water management website at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/WaterManagement.aspx.
Release no. 18-002