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Home , Caloosahatchee River, Everglades, Herbert Hoover Dike, Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee Waterway

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HI FRIENDS.MY NAME IS WAYNE DROP.I KNOW, YOU MAY THINK IT’S RAIN DROP, BUT NO, IT’S WAYNE.I HAPPEN TO BE A WATER DROP WHO LIKES R R to tell stories, particularly about my favorite topic: south ’s fascinating natural environment. O

O I have been asked by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to tell you about Okeechobee. Why me? Simple! I’ve been around for thousands of years, as liquid water and vapor, and I know very well. Through my unique abilities to travel through time and transform myself, I see things from different perspectives. You could say I view life from a birds-eye point of view. I may be able to show you some things about the lake and Dike that you may not learn about otherwise. Of course, it requires a little imagination to pay attention to a water drop, ST ST but believe me, the story is pretty interesting! I I

I’ve been around for thousands of years, as liquid water and vapor, and Y H Y H I know very L Lake Okeechobee L well. R R Y EA Y EA R R E E V V Lake Okeechobee and its littoral zone LAKE OKEECHOBEE has a RICH and INTERESTING PAST 1

Dense vegetation once Some of Florida’s surrounded the lake. earliest inhabitants TO UNDERSTAND lived near Lake Okeechobee. There is evidence that this remarkable resource that Native American tribes settled close to the lake we call Lake Okeechobee, we have to travel back 4,000 years ago. More recently, the in time. named it “Okeechobee,” which means “Big Water” in their native language. Like the , Lake Okeechobee is approximately 6,000 years old. In the history of the Like much of , Lake Earth, this is a relatively young ecosystem. It emerged Okeechobee presented a difficult and when the seas receded, revealing the state of Florida and challenging environment. The lake a shallow depression that became the lake. had no natural outlets such as or streams and was Lake Okeechobee has always been the liquid heart of south surrounded by dense Florida. The lake was very shallow, but still, it could hold a lot vegetation that kept people of water. Each year, it captured billions of gallons of rainwater. from getting to it. Some During the summers, the lake often overflowed its southern rim, early explorers never saw it sending a miles-wide sheet of to the south. This pattern of so they refused to believe sending abundant fresh water south helped create the Everglades, which it even existed. The lake originally covered 4 million acres. first appeared on maps in 1837, but remained largely unknown to During the summers, the lake often European-descendent overflowed its southern rim, settlers until the late 1800s. sending a miles-wide sheet of fresh water to the south. MM OO DD EE RR NN HHII STSTOO RRYY 2 THE LAKE a basin,outletswouldallow Like removingthestopper from was tocreateoutletsinthe lake. floodwaters northofthe lake the bestwaytodrain Philadelphia industrialist,felt ,awealthy Okeechobee asthebiggestproblemtotackle. quickly aspossible. All eyeslookedto frequentlyfloodedLake frequently. Earlypioneerswantedtodrainfloodwaters fromFloridaas live. However, Floridaislow, ithasmanywetlands,andfloods caused bypeople.EarlysettlerswantedtomakeFloridaaniceplace The lakehaschangedovertimeformanyreasons,mostofwhichwere waters wereprobablyveryclearandclean. zone isnowcompletelygone. The lakehadasandybottomandits shoreline iscalledalittoralzone.LakeOkeechobee’s originallittoral successful steamboattravelonthelake h 80.Teecnl ae allowed the 1880s. These canalslater from LakeOkeechobeewasbuiltin The firstcanaldrainingwater and associatedrivers. has Changed DRAMATICALLY Flooded areas in1928. area thatcirclesalake’s vegetated water met. A where theshoreand area thatcoveredtheplace and hadawidevegetation averaging 20to21feet– today, wasdeeper– percent larger thanitis The historiclakewas25 most ofFlorida. years,ashas the past120 changed dramaticallyin L AKE O ECOE HAS KEECHOBEE Okeechobee wereamong thecitiesthatflooded. killed manypeople.Moore Haven,BelleGlade,SouthBayand the lake. The floodwatersdestroyedalmosteverything initspathand 21 milesofasmallearthen damthathadbeenbuiltonthesouthsideof then thewatersloshedbacktosouth. The hurricanewatersdestroyed Hurricane forcewindspushedwatertothenorth partofthelakeand killing anestimated3,000peopleandleavinganother 40,000homeless. Nature. In1926and1928,twohurricanesswept throughsouthFlorida, However, these earlydrainageefforts were nomatchagainstMother state easiertoliveandgrowcropsin. and leveeshadbeenbuiltby1927inanattempt to makethisdifficult –allinaneffort todrainwatersea.Inall,440milesofcanals south ofthelaketo Atlantic OceanandoneeasttotheSt.Lucie District dredgedfourlarge canals state’s Everglades Drainage efforts, from1907to1927the Continuing withtheseearly Fort MyerstoOrlando! steamboats weresailingfrom Lake Okeechobee.By1882, the CaloosahatcheeRiverto drain floodwatersbyconnecting Disston madethefirstattemptto development northofthelake. ranching, farmingandurban thousands ofacresforcattle sea. This wouldopenup flow throughthelakeandoutto water fromnorthofthelaketo In all,440milesofdrainagecanals were builtby1927. 3

Early control efforts were no match against two hurricanes in 1947. Following the storm of 1928, residents were terrified by the thought that associated with the storms. Economic losses were huge, however. the lake could overflow again. The federal government was asked to Agricultural crops and beef and dairy cattle industries suffered millions increase efforts to drain south Florida and make sure Lake Okeechobee of dollars of damage. Life came to a standstill for many. Northern never overflowed again. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a huge visitors were reluctant to spend winters in this unpredictable state. earthen dike around Lake Okeechobee. The dike was constructed from sand, muck and other earthen materials piled up from the lake basin. Residents of Florida had enough! In 1948, the state asked Congress for help. The Florida Legislature asked for a flood control project that The dike, at its base, was as wide as a football field. It was about three would tame the wild swings of nature and allow the state to grow and stories tall and shielded the most vulnerable areas along the southern rim prosper. Congress authorized the Central & Southern Florida Flood of the lake. The dike was considered an impressive flood control Control Project. structure. Over the next 20 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed and As most people who have lived in Florida for any length of time can tell built an engineering marvel. The C&SF Project consisted of 1,000 you, the state is a land of weather extremes. In the 1930s and 1940s, miles of canals and 720 miles of . The dike around Lake Florida then experienced a very severe , lasting about 15 years. Okeechobee was strengthened, completed and was renamed the Herbert During this time, wildfires raged out of control in the Everglades, made Hoover Dike in 1961. The C&SF Project safely routed water throughout worse by the four large drainage canals which had artificially lowered central and south Florida, allowing the region to grow to more than 7 levels. Early residents were having a difficult time living in million people this land of extremes. today and support one of the nation’s Then, in 1947, an event most productive happened that changed the agricultural areas. course of history in Florida. Two back-to-back hurricanes However, water hit, causing widespread management flooding from Orlando to efforts took a toll . Though floodwaters on the natural A world class flood control project was started did not recede for months, environment. in the early 1950s to effectively drain there was little loss of life floodwaters from Florida and protect its residents. This dragline is shown in 1955. Hurricanes presented many Construction of the project continued challenges to early settlers. into the . THTHEE LLAA KK EE TTOO DDAAYY 4 the lake. storage oflarge amountsofwaterinthelakeandpreventsfloodingfrom of citiesandfarmsinitsbasin. The HerbertHooverDikeallowsforthe which nowaregone–isstoredinthelake. This hasallowedthegrowth W • FLOODCONTROL “multiple purposes Perhaps oneofthebiggestchallengesisfactthatlakenowhas of canals,locksandpumpstations. controlled byfederalandstatewatermanagersthroughanintricateseries lake. Trillions ofgallonswaterarestoredinthelake. All outflowsare lake andtheremaining40percentcomesfromrainfalldirectlyover percent ofitswatercomesfromfiveriversandtributariesnorththe Today, LakeOkeechobeeisacompletelymanagedwaterbody. About 60 averaging 9feetdeep. those oftheGreatLakes,though).Italsoismuchshallowertoday, largest freshwaterlakefullyinthecontinentalUnitedStates(farbehind to bethelargest lakeinthesoutheasternUnitedStatesandsecond- lake. The lakehasbeenreducedto730squaremiles–stillgreatenough N must servemanyoften-conflictinggoals. Managed for OW ater thatwashistoricallystoredinwetlandsFlorida–manyof , L AKE O ECOE SVR IFRN RMTEHISTORIC THE FROM DIFFERENT VERY IS KEECHOBEE .” MULTIPLE No longerdoesitfunctionasanaturallake,but and supply sourceforfarmsinthe The lakeservesasawater • WATERSUPPLY CONFLICTING PURPOSES from FortMyerstotheSt.LucieRiver its ecologycanhavesignificanteffects manymilesaway. Endangered andthreatenedspeciesliveinitswatershedarea.Impactsto The lakeprovideshabitatforplants,fish,waterfowlandotherwildlife. ENVIRONMENT • NATURAL boating, camping,hikingandphotography. includes bicycling,bird-watching, recreation inthelakeanditsbasin by anglersfromaroundthenation.Other black crappieintheworld,andisvisited sport fishingforlargemouth bassand Lake Okeechobeeoffers someofthebest T • FISHING,RECREATION AND The • NAVIGATION water supplysourceforeastcoasturbanareas. Everglades Agricultural Area tothesouthoflakeandasaback-up OURISM allows boattravel . OKE ECHOBE E CO UNTY

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

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N Fort Myers 6 Huge DIKE Provides Safety

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WRITE ABOUT LAKE OKEECHOBEE WITHOUT project. However, after in New Orleans in 2005, an E E addressing the Herbert Hoover Dike. The dike has a profound impact on Independent Technical Panel of experts reviewed the current the lake, its health, and water management activities miles away. construction plans and recommended more measures to strengthen the K K dike. I I The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed and built the dike and is responsible for its maintenance today. The dike was originally built in the 1930s. It is constructed of earthen materials found on site: , gravel, sand, The dike has not R D R D rock and shell. This design failed in its was good at the time. Today, E E it would not be built this way. 70 years. The dike was largely constructed from 1932 to 1937. It was strengthened and completed by 1961. OV OV

The dike has not failed in its 70 years. It is 144 miles O O around and completely encircles the lake. However, because the dike is built of earthen materials, it is subject to internal erosion. Water can seep through the dike in a process called piping, in T H T H which small tunnels or pipes are R R formed which carry water and materials. The dike leaks during times E E of high water levels. It is very doubtful water would ever overtop the dike; the concern is leaking at its base. B B

These issues have been well-known for years. In 2000, the Corps of R R Engineers completed a study of the conditions and decided to do a major E E repair to strengthen the dike. That same year, Congress approved a dike-strengthening program. Construction began on the strengthening H H

The dike protects 60,000 people who live near the lake. 7

The dike can leak during times of high water levels. The Corps of Engineers is strengthening the dike in sections to prevent this.

The Corps agrees with the findings and is implementing the panel’s advice as quickly as possible. The plan cost an estimated $856 million in 2007. The new plan involves land acquisition, an expensive step not taken in the first plan. The South Florida Water Management District is assisting with the purchase of these lands. In addition, the Corps and state of Florida carefully regulate water levels in the lake, keeping the level lower, when possible, to maintain the safety of the dike and health of the lake.

While the dike has never failed, it is always a prudent idea for people living near the lake to have a plan to prepare for and respond to hurricanes, as should all residents of Florida and other coastal areas of the . 8 Are VERY Carefully Managed TODAY

WATER LEVELS IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE ARE MANAGED Lake Okeechobee Water Level Cycle by the Corps of Engineers and its state partner, the South Florida Water Management District. The Corps sets the water level based on the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule, which takes many factors into consideration including the current level, rainfall, climate conditions and time of year.

Each , the water level is lowered in anticipation of the summer rainy season. From June to November, the lake level is expected to rise as it captures rain falling directly on the lake and in the Kissimmee LS LS basin to its north. In the winter, during Florida’s dry season, water from the lake is often used to augment E E water flows to the historic Everglades and to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie . It can also V V serve as the back-up water supply for cities east of the The lake’s level rises during Florida’s abundant Everglades. The lake level tends to peak in the late rainy season in the summer and fall summer and fall, and decline to a low point in the late spring. This level is carefully controlled by water managers, when possible.

Lake Okeechobee’s water level is the subject of a R LE R LE great deal of discussion as it has a huge impact on the health of the lake, water supplies for south Florida cities and farms, coastal estuaries, navigation and the safety of the dike. There is rarely one level that TE TE pleases all groups. The final level is balanced to take many factors into consideration. A A The Corps of Engineers revises the lake regulation schedule periodically based on new conditions and W W information. and falls in the dry winter and spring months. Are INFLUENCED by Flood and DROUGHT 9

Mother Nature has a huge effect on Lake Okeechobee.

Despite the best efforts of people to manage the water levels (and health) of the lake, nature has most of the influence.

Too much water – a flood – causes water managers to send excess water to tide, harming the estuaries. The lake level can rise very quickly – up to 4 feet in several weeks – but then it takes months to release this amount of water. High lake levels harm wildlife and put added pressure on the dike.

The other extreme – a drought – provides its own set of worries. As the Florida's historic 2007 drought wreaked havoc on natural lake level falls and miles of lake bed are exposed, recreation, boating ecosystems, including Lake Okeechobee. and the local economy are affected. Water supplies are a very large The only remedy for a drought is to 1) not make concern, as south Florida depends on the lake as a back-up water supply releases from the lake, 2) impose water use source. restrictions, 3) develop more long-term programs to conserve south Florida’s water resources, and 4) develop additional places to store rainwater, to send it later to the lake and other natural systems as needed.

In 2007, the lake fell to a record-breaking low of 8.82 feet above sea level in early July, as a drought affected the southeast United States. The drought continued into early 2008.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District plan seasons and years in advance to deal with these swings of Excess water from Lake Okeechobee is sent to sea -- in this case nature in south Florida. through the C-24 canal to the east coast. LL AA KK EE OOKK EE EE CC HH OO BB EE EE 10 Faces Many interfere withnavigation. natural vegetationandwildlife and these nuisanceplantsthat crowdout an ongoingbattle,though, toremove spraying andbiologicalmeasures.Itis being tackledthroughaquatic the .Othernon-nativesare successful inremovingagreatdealof and stategovernmentshavebeen species haveinfestedthelake.Federal cattail, andotherinvasiveplant of acresMelaleuca,torpedograss, NON-NA out totheestuaries,harmingthemtoo. Lastly affect fishandwildlifepopulations. blooms andcloudingwater. Itcan balance, causingblue-greenalgal including upsettingthenativeplant onthelakebottom.Over-enrichment causesmanyproblems, additional phosphorus-enrichedwaterintothelakeandstirringup hurricanes of2004and2005worsenedthesituation,bysending picked upinwater, andthenflowsintothelakewithwater. The well asurbanfertilizerrunoff. Phosphorusisembeddedinthesoil, T phosphorus hasbeenflowingintothelakeformorethan60years. PHOSPHORUS. unnaturally highwaterlevels. enrichment fromphosphorus,spreadofnon-nativeplantsand H AYCALNE AE BY FACED CHALLENGES MANY THE oday, itcomesfromagriculturaloperationslargely northofthelakeas , thepollutedwaterthenflows TIVE PLANTS. byproductofagriculturalandurbanactivities, A CHALLENGES Thousands L AKE O ECOE NLD OVER INCLUDE KEECHOBEE - Managing thelake isaverycomplex undertaking. the lakeanddike. HIGH WATERLEVELS. pressure onthedikeitself,whichisnotdesirable. into thelake,alsobeneficial.Lastly, highwaterlevelsputadded life. Inaddition,shallowwaterlevelsencouragemorelightpenetration circumstances. Itprovideshabitat,oxygen,andafoodsourceforaquatic zone occupiesupto25percentofthelakearea,undercertain essential tothehealthoflakecalledlittoralzone. The littoral of water. However, highwaterlevelsdrownthe natural plantareathatis federal andstatepolicyallowedforhigherlakelevelsmorestorage vast amountsofwater–morethanishealthyforthelake.Untilrecently, The HerbertHooverDikeallowsforthestorageof Unnaturally highwaterlevelsareharmfulto 11

LAKE OKEECHOBEE Water can Help or Hurt Coastal Estuaries

HISTORICALLY, water from the lake slowly drifted delicate south to the Everglades. environments. However, in an effort to provide On rare flood control in Florida, and occasions, allow for the development of though, lake agriculture south of the lake, discharges can these discharges were sent west help such as during and east through the when saltwater Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie is intruding and fresh water estuaries. The result is that the is needed. The estuaries are getting a source of estuaries depend water they did not receive on low flows from historically. the lake in drought to keep saltwater from moving to them and Estuaries are accustomed to into associated St. Lucie and brackish conditions, which is a Caloosahatchee rivers. mixture of fresh and saltwater – less salty than sea water. Too much fresh or saltwater can be harmful. Estuaries provide many important functions, including serving as nurseries for juvenile marine life, so their good health is essential. Today, water discharges from Lake Okeechobee can be very harmful to the estuaries. Huge amounts of fresh water, often Coastal estuaries can be greatly affected by changes in water flow. polluted, wreak havoc on these Pictured is the Indian Lagoon. 12 Programs are Under Way to Help Both the LAKE and its ASSOCIATED DIKE

THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District have important programs under way to protect Lake Okeechobee, the coastal estuaries, and the dike.

The South Florida Water Management District and other state partners are working to improve the health of the lake and associated coastal estuaries through the Lake Okeechobee and Estuary Recovery (LOER) E E Program. This includes setting aside land for additional water R R storage, constructing Stormwater Treatment Areas to clean water prior to discharge to the lake (and later estuaries), identifying additional water storage areas, and identifying UTU UTU improved land use practices north of the lake to reduce fertilizer and urban runoff. In 2007, the Florida Legislature passed the E F E F Northern Everglades Protection Act, providing additional benefits In all seasons, the lake is beautiful. to the lake and estuaries. TH TH 13

The Comprehensive weeds, periodic updates of the Everglades Restoration Plan Lake Okeechobee Regulation (CERP) and other ecosystem Schedule, and the U.S. Army restoration projects will help Corps of Engineers Herbert improve the health of Lake Hoover Dike Rehabilitation Okeechobee. CERP is a long- Project. The goal of these term $10.5 billion program to programs is to keep the lake’s restore the greater Everglades water level lower, improve water ecosystem that includes Lake quality, and properly maintain Okeechobee. CERP will benefit the dike. Lake Okeechobee directly by building many new water storage Lake Okeechobee is a critical areas north of and around the resource to the state of Florida. It lake to capture billions of provides water supply, gallons of water that would recreation, environmental and normally flow into the lake. This economic benefits and is truly will keep the lake level 1 foot the liquid heart of south Florida. lower than it is today. This will While it has changed improve the lake’s ecology, tremendously in the past century, prevent tons of phosphorus from these federal and state efforts – entering the lake, and benefit the costing billions of dollars – will coastal estuaries by reducing improve the lake’s water unwanted discharges. CERP is a quality and ecology and From left: Lake Okeechobee, the Herbert Hoover Dike, the rim project of the U.S. Army Corps protect public safety, canal, and the shoreline. of Engineers in partnership with allowing future the state of Florida. generations to enjoy and Other efforts to benefit the lake benefit from it. The goal of these programs is to keep include ongoing programs to remove and control non-native the lake’s water level lower, improve water quality, and properly maintain the dike.

1-877-CERP-USA www.saj.usace.army.mil • www.evergladesplan.org

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