Issue: Water Supply and Lake Okeechobee
Over the last several years, how to manage Lake Okeechobee has been the center of much debate. The Lake is more than just a tourist spot – it’s the core of an intricate water management system for a variety of area stakeholders, including over 7 million South Florida residents, the Southwest Florida coast, and the neighboring Florida Everglades. Getting Lake management wrong would put our area directly at risk for a severe drought that would cripple the water supply to our residents and destroy local businesses. Today, the Army Corps is approaching the finalization of LOSOM (Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual) – the new management schedule for Lake O. The SFWC has vigorously advocated for our area residents, asking the Corps to make water supply needs for residents, businesses, and our coastal environment a top priority. So far, the current draft plan falls short of what South Florida requires.
The debate over Lake Okeechobee water levels, the discharge schedule, preventing toxic algae, and how to orient state and local water policies are all important conversations we need to have as a community – not turn communities against each other.
In short, science isn’t partisan – it’s simply fact. We encourage you to speak out on this issue – for our residents, and Florida’s future.
According to information from the South Florida Water Management District, the impacts of lake water levels at 10.5 or below are as follows:
Severe reduction in capability to deliver water south of the lake for any beneficial purpose.
Increase risk of compromising freshwater supplies via saltwater intrusion.
The withdrawal for water supply needs is compromised, impacting public health and safety.
Primary water supply source for the City of West Palm Beach’s Grassy Water Preserve no longer available, affecting 100,000 residents.
Imposition of water restrictions that negatively impact a population of more than 6 million from Palm Beach to the Florida Keys.
Lake Okeechobee is no longer navigable, crippling local businesses and commerce.
We’ve seen the consequences of drought conditions in South Florida before, and we can’t afford to be there again.
The SFWC is on your side!
“Meeting water supply demands for the future is going to be a challenge that we all face and how we develop the plans to deal with this future is really important”. Listen to the full interview with Executive Director of Lake Worth Drainage District, Tommy Strowd as he explains the unintended consequences that LOSOM going into effect can have on millions of residents in South Florida.
Issue: Saltwater Intrusion
There is general agreement with the science that our oceans will continue to rise as this century moves forward due to a changing climate; Florida will remain in a ground-zero scenario as this unfolds. A recent report by Newsweek indicated that by 2100, “Florida is likely to experience at least 2 feet of rise due to emissions to date”, with some projections showing even higher impacts depending on current efforts to slow the process down.
Sea level rise can create unwanted consequences along the South Florida coast in the form of saltwater intrusion. For example, part of Florida sits above the Biscayne Aquifer – the porous, soft limestone that serves as a primary source of freshwater for millions of South Floridians. As sea levels rise, saltwater places pressure on the aquifer, seeping through the limestone, infiltrating – and subsequently corrupting – our freshwater supply.
Some counties and municipalities in South Florida have taken measures to address saltwater intrusion, by investing in the relocation of wellfields – and yes, we still withdraw our water to the surface using wells – into more western locations that are safer from the coastline. The SFWC has been an outspoken advocate for protecting our communities from saltwater intrusion, supporting legislation in Tallahassee that directly addresses mitigation efforts.
Issue: Sea Level Rise
The impacts of sea-level rise are broad; as a result, any solution framework that is established should be an approach that is both balanced and holistic. Because South Florida remains ground zero for this crisis, it makes an inclusive approach even more critical. Certainly, adequate attention is being paid to the more tangible effects – residents and property owners quite visibly see streets that are flooded and beaches that go missing. However, the SFWC is concerned with what isn’t seen, but felt just as equally.
Sea-level rise has created a water supply crisis: saltwater intrusion has infiltrated the porous Biscayne aquifer, corrupting many of South Florida’s freshwater wells and threatening many more. Streets are often flooded by ordinary rain events, destroying property and creating dangerous conditions for residents. We support protecting our freshwater aquifers, and implementing robust resiliency measures that will help prepare communities for the inevitable.