Army Corps: 3.3 billion gallons released from Lake O now reaching FMB

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FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla.- A massive water release from Lake Okeechobee is now hindering vacation plans for tourists on Fort Myers Beach.

” I noticed the water was a little more brown this trip, and just assumed it might have been from the storms,” said Matt Cacciato, a frequent visitor to Southwest Florida.

Cacciato says he and his family usually love getting in the warm Gulf waters, but now that it’s brown and “uninviting,” he’s staying out of it.

Friday afternoon, the Army Corps of Engineers began releasing the “maximum amount of water possible” from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River.

Record rainfall in January put the Hoover Dike, also known as HHD, at risk. Excess water and record high water levels could cause the dike to break, the Corps said. If that happens, water from Lake O could flood homes nearby.

However, tourists on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island are starting to see the effects firsthand.

“I think it’s a total shame, I think it’s awful,” said Jill Andersen, who was visiting Sanibel this week. “I wish that they could do something different. I understand that the lake is overflown, but there’s gotta be something else to do. It looks like this area of Florida really suffers for it.”

Saturday, the Corps released 3.3 billion gallons of water into the river, but the water level is still on the rise.

Before the release, the lake sat at 16.25 feet. Saturday evening, it reached 16.3.

John Campbell with the Army Corps of Engineers said there was still over 6 billion gallons of water coming into the lake this week. He adds that until the water levels begin to decrease, officials plan to continue allowing water to flow at its maximum rate into the Caloosahatchee.

Snowbirds who frequent Southwest Florida say they’re not sure how to respond to the change.

“Well, we love coming to the beach, but I’m not so sure I’m gonna go down into the water to be honest with you… After learning what we have, I think we’ll probably stay out.” said Cacciato.

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