Monday, March 18, 2019

Water levels in Lake Okeechobee is very big news for everyone in Palm Beach County (PBC).


The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District recently held a public meeting in PBC on water levels in Lake Okeechobee..

And why everyone, including all our elected officials both LOCAL and regional, need to be very concerned about Lake O.

You may have heard about what happened. It was one of a series of public meetings by the USACE Jax District in South Florida.

Maybe you read the news from journalist Kimberly Miller. As was reported in The Palm Beach Post the crowd brushed off “their own growling stomachs for a dinnertime debate on Lake Okeechobee levels”.

And also below, at the end of this blog post, is very important information from the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD).

Also part of this story are things called the LOSOM and C&SF System Operating Plan (explained below) and how to make YOUR VOICE HEARD.

Why you need to be concerned.


Just in Central and Western Palm Beach County alone the Town of Palm Beach relies on Lake O and so does the Town of Lantana and everything west to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. When in drought not one village, town, city or unincorporated area would be unaffected. For some communities it would be devastating.

The water level in Lake Okeechobee matters.

And when your top elected official representing Palm Beach County says as quoted in the Post. . . 



“Our drinking water should never be put in jeopardy and I urge the Corps to protect this precious right.”

—Quote. District 7 commissioner and Palm Beach County Mayor Mack Bernard.



[The “Corps” cited in the quote above is USACE (Jacksonville); to learn more about the Palm Beach County Commission click on this link.]



Simply, what is this debate all about? Another excerpt from Kimberly Miller:


In May 2000, the lake was lowered to 13 feet. But a dry rainy season followed and in May 2001, the lake hit a record low of 8.97 feet. That record was beat in 2007 when the lake dropped to 8.94 feet.

Severe water restrictions were in place during both droughts, muck fires burned out of control on the lake, neighbors tattled on each other when sprinklers turned on, cities doled out water as if it were gold but no taps went completely dry.


Now about those acronyms and more. . .


The background is the public meeting in West Palm was one of a series of “Public Input and Public Scoping Meetings” for what is called the Lake Okeechobee Systems Operations Manual (LOSOM) which are required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which is part of the Central & Southern Florida (C&SF) System Operating Plan. The meeting was held by the “Corps” at the headquarters of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

The paragraph above is complicated but you have plenty of time to educate yourself. If you wish to make public comment and ask questions — by email or standard US mail — that information is later in the section, “How To Make YOUR Voice Heard”.


In other words, learn why you need to. . .


Make YOUR Voice Heard!



Here is the opening paragraph from Miller’s news about about last Wednesday’s public event:


 Nearly 200 people ignored Wednesday’s stormy skies and their own growling stomachs for a dinnertime debate on Lake Okeechobee levels — an onerous argument boiled down by one speaker who commented: “the water wars are starting.”

three paragraphs later. . .


Ninety-people signed up to speak at the meeting at the South Florida Water Management District headquarters in West Palm Beach. That included 11 elected officials from Palm Beach County’s deep western communities to its beachy coast, all of whom lobbied to keep the lake higher than a suggested target of 10.5 feet going into the rainy season [officially begins May 15th].


FYI: In paragraph above note that SFWMD headquarters is located at 3301 Gun Club Rd. This is west of West Palm Beach ergo “suburban West Palm”.



How To Make
YOUR Voice Heard:



The public comment period ends
on April 22, 2019.

  
Submit comments by email: LakeOComments@usace.army.mil

 Submit comments by mail:

 Dr. Ann Hodgson
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville
     District
P.O. Box 4970
Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019


For more information click on this link.


A message from LWDD (pause for Tweet to load):



The LWDD has a crucial roles here in Palm Beach County. Not only are they tasked with protecting the water supply they also are tasked with drainage as well. Remember, Hurricane Season begins on June 1st.

For more information about that including an excellent news report from journalist Marci Shatzman at the Sun Sentinel click on this link.