LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says they are continuing to not release any water into the estuaries to the east and west of Lake Okeechobee due to stable water levels.
They say they will continue to send water south for water supply, at an average rate of 3,655 cubic feet per second.
The Corps has not made targeted regulatory releases from the lake since July 12.
"Lake levels have stabilized since the beginning of September, and the forecast is for drier conditions, but we're not out of the woods yet," said Col. Andrew Kelly, Jacksonville District Commander. "September is the peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic and tropical activity remains high. We will continue to monitor conditions closely and adjust releases as necessary."
Friday's stage at Lake Okeechobee is 13.81 feet, down 0.06 feet in the last week, but up 0.66 feet during the past 30 days.
Corps lock operators have reported visible signs of algae in the lake near Port Mayaca over the past week, but the DEP reports that according to the most recent viable satellite imagery, bloom potential appears to have declined substantially in Lake Okeechobee and the estuaries remain free of bloom potential.
