After ten years, a lot of money, and countless stops and starts, the Army Corps of Engineers has put a grand new plan into action to control the release of water from Lake Okeechobee.

It advertises Improving water quality, protecting ecosystems in the Everglades and better managing water resources to prevent harmful algal blooms in the Caloosahatchee River and the St. Lucie Watershed on Florida’s east coast.

A fundamental change is that for the first time we Consider how polluted the lake water is in deciding whether to open the overflow pipes, and if so, for how long, in which direction(s) and by how many degrees.

I have researched and written about the Great New Plan and I do not understand how the agency’s leaders are able to achieve what they claim to achieve within the laws of hydrodynamics, gravity and human behavior..

How can the Army Corps limit the amount of lake water released by using fewer locks and allowing them to pass less frequently, and still lower the lake level to safe levels when necessary, as promised?

It is a hydrological paradox.

Or is it?

Exception detection

Blue-green algae cover 220 square miles of the lake at the time of this writing and have done so for many months. A well-above-average hurricane season is approaching its most historically active period.

Lake Okeechobee is 2 feet below any water depth of concern. If hurricane rains send the lake 2 feet deep—a piece of cake in a tropical rain system—and, say, another hurricane is on the way…what to do, what to do?

It’s a bit more complicated than that, but when the lake is high and another rain is coming, an exception in the Great New Plan allows hard-won regulations governing the ecosystems of the Caloosahatchhee and St. Lucie rivers to be repealed and the spillways to be thrown wide open.

It seems that the hydrological paradox an exit ramp.

Solution without pollution

For Everglades observers, it is no news that Lake Okeechobee an out-of-control nutrient pollution problemThis is water with high concentrations of phosphorus, nitrogen and other chemicals, resulting from over 100 years of excessive use of fertilizers by the family and industrial farms surrounding the lake.

Added to this chemical stew is the runoff from the Orlando metropolitan area. The everyday waste of life – motor oil, radiator fluid, chewing gum, animal droppings, spit, cigarette butts and other nasty things – flows through the stormwater system into the Kissimmee Riverwhich winds south to the north shore of Lake Okeechobee.

There, street pollution from the suburbs of Orlando flows into Lake O.

That will not change.

Recognition to all

Virtually every environmental organization in South Florida that works to improve the Everglades—and that’s almost all of them—claims that their work was the catalyst for the Army Corps’ Grand New Plan.

They all deserve a good share of the loan; none of them did it alone.

The Everglades Foundation recognizes the complexity of balancing water needs and environmental impacts. I join others in expressing concern about the practical challenges posed by these conflicting requirements.

Eric Eikenberg, chairman of the foundation, said that despite all the contradictions and difficulties in balancing the changes in the Great New Plan, it was as good as it can be currently.

“While a long-term solution to South Florida’s complex water problems and a complete cessation of discharges into the lake will only be possible with new water infrastructure like the Everglades Reservoir, this is an important step toward a more balanced management of the lake water that Floridians and our state depend on.”

Several environmental heavyweights share my concern that the Great New Plan assumes that contradictory measures are possible at the same time.

Let us hope that within the hundreds of pages of the Great New Plan these contradictions are recognized and there are Plans for future fixes — so the whole thing is not just expensive eyewash.

And now we join WGCU Water Quality Report which, like the Great New Plan, contains contradictions that allow us to begin at the beginning and at the end at the same time.

RED FLOOD

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been collecting samples statewide for the red tide organism. Karenia brevis, and found none in detectable quantities, even in southwest Florida.

This means that the beaches of Southwest Florida are free of the acrid stench of red tide.

There are no reports of fish deaths or respiratory illnesses associated with red tide.

However, the Sanibel Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic admitted six birds with suspected red tide toxicosis: four are still being treated, but a pelican and a noddy have died.

Blue-green algae

The Florida Department of Health has not found any blue-green algae since Hurricane Debby’s storm surge hit the region several weeks ago.

The Florida Department of Health issued water quality warnings in Collier and Manatee counties following Hurricane Debby due to the presence of human waste. The health department has since lifted the warning for the Marco Island area, but further north, the warning remains in effect for the Palma Sola Causeway in Bradenton.

Satellite images of Lake Okeechobee showed an algal bloom, but again clouds and wind prevented the area from being determined. The last clear image of the lake’s surface earlier this month showed a blue-green algal bloom covering 220 squares, or about half of the lake.

According to FDEP, it is important to be aware that the potential of blue-green algae depends on rapidly changing environmental conditions or satellite inconsistencies.

What is red tide?

Red tide is a form of harmful algal bloom caused by high concentrations of the toxic dinoflagellate. K. shorta type of microscopic algae found in the Gulf of Mexico.

Red tide usually occurs naturally offshore, usually in late summer or early fall, and is carried into coastal waters by wind and currents. Once onshore, these opportunistic organisms can exploit nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth.

The flowers usually last until winter or spring, but in some cases they can last for more than a year.

Is red tide harmful?

K. short produces powerful neurotoxins that can be harmful to the health of animals and humans. Wind and waves can break open K. brevis cells and release toxins into the air, so you should monitor conditions and avoid beaches where red tide is in full bloom.

People in coastal areas may experience varying degrees of eye, nose and throat irritation during a red tide. Symptoms may be more severe for some people with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic lung disease.

In addition, red tide toxins can affect the central nervous system of fish and other marine life, leading to fish deaths.

What causes red tide?

A red tide bloom develops naturally, but recent studies have found that human addition of other nutrients can prolong or intensify red tide. But biology (the organisms), chemistry (natural or human-made nutrients for growth), and physics (concentration and transport mechanisms) interact to produce the algal bloom. No single factor causes the development of a red tide bloom.

What are blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae, also called cyanobacteria, are a group of organisms that can live in freshwater, saltwater or brackish water.

High concentrations, called cyanobacterial blooms, can change the color of the water to blue, green, brown, orange, or red. Some cyanobacterial blooms can look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of freshwater lakes and ponds. When the algae in a cyanobacterial bloom dies, the water can smell as if something with a naturally unpleasant odor has also begun to rot.

Are blue-green algae harmful?

Different types of blue-green algae blooms can look different and have different effects. However, regardless of the type, many types of blue-green algae can produce toxins that can make you or your pets sick if ingested or potentially cause skin and eye irritation.

FDEP advises staying away from waters where algae is visible as patches or mats, or where the water is discolored. Livestock and your dog should not come into contact with such water, and if it does happen, wash the animal immediately. This could save Fido’s life.

What causes blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae blooms occur when the algae that are normally present grow in larger numbers than normal. Within a few days, a bloom can cause clear water to become cloudy.

Wind drives the floating blooms toward the shore where they are more visible. Cyanobacterial blooms can form in warm, slow-moving waters that are rich in nutrients. Blooms can occur at any time, but most commonly occur in late summer or early fall.

If a major water quality alert is issued, you will find the details here in WGCU Water Quality Report.

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