Fort Myers Mayor Henderson to discuss ‘Lake O’ water releases

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FORT MYERS, Fla.- Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson provided details at a press conference on Monday about his upcoming trip to Washington DC to discuss the water releases from Lake Okeechobee and their impact on Southwest Florida.

The brown water has upset some visitors while the tourism industry also scrambles to find ways to prosper at the height of season. Henderson said the region is hurting because of perceptions wrought by the muddied water, comparing the current impact to that of the BP oil spill.

Local fishermen say water from the lake is driving marine life out to the Gulf of Mexico and killing grasses that grow in the river, causing fish and other creatures to  have less to eat.

“I can’t catch a catfish, nothing,” said Joe Brown. “The water has got a lot to do with it.”

“Buy the land. Restore the flow,” signs read Monday. A group called Captains for Clean Water gathered to support Henderson and to ask that efforts be made to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee.

“Let’s move on. Let’s get this resolved. That’s what this effort’s about,” Henderson said Monday before the press conference. “Sheer frustration that we’ve suffered the consequences of these releases that are catastrophic to our ecosystem and people’s quality of life.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases water to lower the lake level, and take pressure off the dike around the lake to keep the levee from breaking, which could endanger many lives. Today, the level is down to 16.24 feet, an improvement from last week, but still high for winter.

 

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