The Army Corps of Engineers announced it will begin releasing water Tuesday from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River.
The Corps says it will release as much water as practical through the spillway at Moore Haven Lock and Dam (S-77) located on the southwest side of the lake. Flows will vary based on downstream conditions in the Caloosahatchee River/Estuary.
The Corps already resumed releases through Port Mayaca on the east side of the laketo the Treasure Coast last Friday.
"The challenges with high water that we saw on the Caloosahatchee last week have subsided," said Col. Jason Kirk, Jacksonville District Commander. "Starting releases from the lake now will help slow the rise so we can retain as much storage as possible in the lake for future precipitation events."
As of Tuesday, the lake stage is 15.50 feet and rising.
The Army Corps says when the lake is 18 feet, they get very concerned about flooding. They also say they expect storm water could impact the lake level for the next two to five weeks.
Lake Okeechobee is up about two feet since Hurricane Irma hit the state last week.
