Lake O management plan moving ahead under watchful eye of SWFL leaders

The Lake Okeechobee management plan that has our leaders threatening a lawsuit is moving forward.

The Lake Okeechobee System Operation Manual, or LOSOM, is the framework for what’s to come.

It’s the same plan that had local leaders calling for change, but Lee County Commission Chair Kevin Ruane said taking any legal action at this time would be premature.

Still, we have to wait and see if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) delivers on the improvements it hopes to make.

“The takeaway from today is that our voices have been heard,” Ruane said after the Corps on Monday announced “Alternative C-C” as its foundation for the LOSOM. They addressed the need for changes.

“Almost universal communication across all the stakeholders, talking about the Caloosahatchee and perhaps CC didn’t do as good as it should have done in terms of Caloosahatchee stress,” said Col. Andrew Kelly, commander of the USACE Jacksonville District.

“But these are all goals that they’re trying to state, not necessarily outcomes. So we’re going to continue to obviously press our message,” Ruane said.

This next round of adjustments includes goals of reducing the stress to the Caloosahatchee River, maximizing flows south toward the Everglades, and addressing algae.

“So you know, of course, I remain hopeful,” said James Evans, environmental policy director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

While hopeful, he said they need to keep pressure on the Corps for these goals to come to fruition.

“The Army Corps of Engineers is going to have to have the political will to want to balance this LOSOM plan for all stakeholders and not try to protect certain stakeholders at the expense of others.”

Evans said flows from the Franklin Lock into the Caloosahatchee were 3,600 cubic feet per second, which is well beyond what is safe for the river. What’s more concerning is that’s from our own water runoff, not Lake O releases.

He explained that’s why it’s so important for the Corps to consider how much water we received just from our surrounding area.