26 Jun 2020

Col. Kelly on Lake Okeechobee: balancing project purposes

One of the challenges we face at the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is balancing all of the purposes of managing Lake Okeechobee given to us by Congress – flood control, water supply, navigation, recreation, and preservation of fish and wildlife resources. As we enter rainy season, we will keep focusing on balancing the purposes of lake water management and setting favorable conditions.

31 Mar 2020

Corps defends against invasive lizards

Cold-stunned green iguanas, dubbed “chicken of the trees,” made national headlines as they fell from the trees in south Florida during a recent cold snap. News stories and social media helped to raise public awareness about the damage that can be wrought by the large invasive lizards, which can reach more than five feet and twenty pounds. According to the media reports, these invaders weren’t just munching their way through the succulent plants of south Florida’s gardens, they also wreaked havoc on private properties and important public infrastructure, shorting out power lines and burrowing under structures, causing some of them to collapse. In one city, they reportedly contributed enough damage to a water control structure that the repair bill reached $1.8 million. Construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of critical infrastructure are key missions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee, five navigation locks and dams and recreation areas along the 154-mile long Okeechobee Waterway, and Everglades restoration. Maintaining the integrity of these structures and protecting them from damage is integral to the success of these missions.

12 Mar 2020

USACE continues work on e Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule deviation

After he took charge of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District in 2018, Col. Andrew Kelly charged his team to look for tools that would offer different options for the management of water in Lake Okeechobee during times when harmful algal blooms (HABs) were present. Significant HAB events affected Lake Okeechobee and the coastal estuaries in 2016 and 2018. Jacksonville District engineers and biologists reviewed the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) and looked for potential tools to adjust operations in anticipation of possible future HAB events. Last summer, Jacksonville District rolled out a proposed deviation to LORS that would provide greater flexibility in the management of water with the goal of reducing the health risk to the public associated with HABs.

19 Dec 2019

USACE updates dry-season approach for Lake Okeechobee

The water management team at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now focused on the year ahead and the challenges that we face. Unlike last year, our focus this year will be on retaining water during the dry season.