Smack dab in the middle of southern Florida is a huge body of water known as Lake Okeechobee. It is the second largest freshwater lake in the Lower 48 states, behind Lake Michigan. Covering 730 square miles, the lake is remarkably shallow, with depths averaging only nine feet.
Hidden deep in the wilds of unexplored Florida, the lake was known only to the indigenous people until the mid 1800’s. In the late 1880’s, a dredging operation opened access from the lake to the Kissimmee River, and out to the Gulf of Mexico. This created a way for steamboats to get from the Gulf into the central part of the state. Railroad and highway access followed in the 1920’s, along with drainage canals and a levee. It was during this period that Lake Okeechobee became the hub of much of south Florida’s agricultural industry.
Which brings us to January 2016. Heavy winter rains have inundated the state, causing lake levels to rise to more than a foot above normal. Local officials feared this would put too much stress on the nearly 80 year old levee system, and made the call to start draining the lake. Water is diverted from the lake out into the Gulf of Mexico and to the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast. The problem: the water in Lake Okeechobee is potentially toxic.
In order to prevent flooding in the Everglades Agricultural Area earlier in 2015, water had been diverted to Lake Okeechobee and, with it, a chemical cocktail of fertilizers and animal waste. About 10 billion gallons of polluted water churned into the lake, which is now pouring out into sea on both coasts.
Proponents of draining point out that this is nothing new. The lake has been drained into the sea numerous times in the past, and this is done to prevent flooding in South Florida, something which could cause a massive economic impact as well as property damage for the residents there. On the other side of the table, the lake water is harmful to coastal fishing grounds. The water cause algal blooms, leading to destruction of local marine life.
Historically, Lake Okeechobee naturally overran its banks every rainy season, with excess water flowing south to replenish the Everglades. Now, with irrigation and other water control devices, man is disrupting this natural process. The Army Corps of Engineers, who oversees the flood control operations, says that safeguarding the people who live and work in South Florida trumps tourist dollars. This safeguarding also extends to whatever the impact may be on the local marine life. This year’s El Nino weather system will mean much heavier than normal rainfall in the Sunshine State. The water will be pouring into Lake Okeechobee faster than the Army Corps can pump it out. It seems that problems for South Florida sea life have only just begun.
Related articles: The Strange Phenomenon of Smoke Fog in Florida, 5 Endangered Animal Species of Florida
Featured Image from Adriana Dapolito/Unsplash
