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Peter SchorschDecember 13, 2017

Environmental group Audubon Florida presented Senate President Joe Negron with an award Tuesday recognizing his “steadfast leadership” in Everglades restoration. Negron earned the “Champion of the Everglades” award for a bill he ushered through the legislature earlier this past session that mandated the construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to reduce discharges to […]

Drew WilsonOctober 30, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday that he will ask lawmakers to include $50 million to fast-track repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee in the 2018-19 state budget. In a Monday press release Scott thanked President Donald Trump for his “commitment to accelerating critical repairs” to the dike but said Trump green-lighting a […]

Associated PressOctober 19, 2017

Federal officials are conducting daily inspections of the dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee because of its near-record water levels but say it is not in danger of failing. Almur Whiting of the Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday there has been some seepage through the Herbert Hoover Dike but it is not significant. The corps […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 15, 2017

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday that it plans to recommence discharges from Lake Okeechobee tomorrow to slough off the excess water dumped into the lake by Hurricane Irma. The Corps said it will begin pushing “as much water as practical” through the spillway at Port Mayaca Lock & Dam on the east […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 1, 2017

Senate President Joe Negron on Friday said progress on a southern reservoir outlined in legislation passed this year, addressing South Florida’s water quality, is getting a kick-start. “…The Army Corps of Engineers intends to expedite the federal approval process … The Corps has determined the best option for achieving southern storage is not to seek […]

Drew WilsonAugust 4, 2017

Scientists working for the South Florida Water Management District presented findings Thursday pointing to inflows north of Lake Okeechobee as the source of nutrients causing recent algae blooms in the lake. The results show runoff from north of the lake, due to high rain levels and the warm temperature, was the principal cause of the […]

Peter SchorschJuly 21, 2017

After millions of gallons of untreated water entered Lake Okeechobee this summer, significant algae blooms are now beginning to form – with nary a word from environmentalists. Both the Palm Beach Post and the TC Palm report on new blooms in Lake O, but (unlike last summer) absent any discharges from the lake there are […]

Jim RosicaJune 14, 2017

Chalk it up to “passion.” Or politics. Gov. Rick Scott, speaking to reporters after a Wednesday bill signing, explained away the open tension between him and House Speaker Richard Corcoran after the House this year tried to gut VISIT FLORIDA and do away with economic development organization Enterprise Florida, his two favored state agencies. By […]

Staff ReportsJune 9, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott expanded the call of the Legislature’s special session Friday to include money he wants to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike and higher education investments important to the Senate. And here are the details that got us here: The Senate will relent on trying to appropriate more money for hospitals; there will be nothing that […]

Staff ReportsMay 9, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation Tuesday pledging $800 million in bonds toward Senate President Joe Negron’s signature project — a $1.5 billion plan to restore Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades by building a reservoir south of the lake. Scott had signaled his intention to sign the legislation earlier in the week, calling Everglades restoration “a […]

Tag: Lake Okeechobee

Joe Negron named ‘Champion of the Everglades’

Scott wants $50M to speed up Lake O dike repairs

Feds: Inspections show Lake Okeechobee’s dike sound

Army Corps to resume Lake O flows Friday

Joe Negron: Army Corps will speed up Lake O work

Scientists blame northern inflows for current Lake O algae bloom

New Lake O algae blooms reported, so why are environmentalists silent?

Rick Scott: No hard feelings between him and Richard Corcoran

We have a deal: Rick Scott expands scope of special session

Rick Scott signs SB 10, the Lake Okeechobee restoration plan, into law