Staff Reports
As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nears a decision on a future Lake Okeechobee lake schedule, South Florida leaders and representatives from the Seminole Tribe of Florida are urging federal water managers to take more time and adopt a plan that will ensure their water needs can be met.
As part of the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) process, the groups have provided input on the current alternatives under consideration, which attempt to balance the various water needs of stakeholders and communities tied to Lake Okeechobee.
“The City should have its water supply returned to the level that existed before the LORS08 ‘interim’ schedule was adopted,” reads a letter submitted by West Palm Beach. “Therefore, the Alternatives may not comply with existing state law or the Congressionally-authorized purposes of the Central and Southern Florida Project.”
Additionally, a letter from Palm Beach County’s water resources manager urged more time so county leaders can provide a more thorough review of the alternatives that have been unveiled by the Corps.
“As communicated to the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in June 2021 by County Mayor (Dave) Kerner and others, including Reps. (Lois) Frankel, (Mario) Díaz-Balart, (Greg) Steube, and (Daniel) Webster, additional time is needed to review, understand and evaluate the results of the complex regional modeling being performed as part of LOSOM,” wrote Jeremy McBryan, Palm Beach County Water Resources Manager, in a July 9 letter to the Army Corps.
As one of the tribal nations impacted by Lake Okeechobee’s water supply, a representative of the Seminole Tribe of Florida also voiced concern over whether the Corps’ alternatives would provide enough water to the Tribe’s reservations.
“The Seminole Tribe still maintains that the Lake Okeechobee allocation restrictions cannot apply to their water rights, but if the District insists that it cannot approve increased allocations for Brighton Reservation due to the restriction, the restriction effectively acts as a very real constraint on the future development potential of both Brighton and Big Cypress Reservations,” wrote a representative for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The tribe’s letter also took issue with Alternative CC, which has been touted by Palm City Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Mast and environmental advocates.
“Alternative CC also concerns the Seminole Tribe because it appears that it will not meet the Lake Okeechobee Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) requirement, causing the District’s Lake recovery strategy to remain in place indefinitely.”
The letter notes that “the recovery strategy was put in place after the 2008 Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS 08) was implemented, dropping the Lake’s average stage by around a foot and significantly impacting the Seminole Tribe’s water rights.”
Barring any delays, according to the Army Corps’ timeline, a decision on a preferred alternative is expected sometime in August.
