Why does the SFWMD keep discharging Lake Okeechobee water to the St. Lucie Estuary?
The SFWMD is the local partner with the Army Corps of Engineers for the Central and Southern Florida flood Control Project, which includes Lake Okeechobee. However, the Corps is responsible for maintenance and operation the lake. Historically, the lake has been considered a key component in providing backup water supply for south Florida. Because of this need, operational decisions regarding releases have treated the lake more like a reservoir than a natural lake system. Past decisions about discharges have been based on a formal regulation schedule designed to protect the integrity of the levees surrounding the Lake and still maintain sufficient water levels for regional water supply needs. Over time, this type of regulation schedule has resulted in higher and higher lake stages. Consequently, when water must be released per the adopted regulation schedule as a result of wet season rainfall or in anticipation of an approaching storm, the lake discharges tend to be larger and/ or longe
