Feasibility of Lower Lake Okeechobee Water Levels

Feasibility of Lower Lake Okeechobee Water Levels.

The following is from a report prepared by the St. Lucie River Initiative, Inc.

July 2000

Many interested parties desire Lake Okeechobee to be held at a lower average water level. This interest is primarily due to environmental protection afforded both the lake and the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Estuaries under lower average Lake levels. These same interests are extremely concerned over the present lack of such protection and the environmental harm done to the Lake and Estuaries over the pas six years of high average Lake levels.

We understand that consumptive users of Lake Okeechobee waters are concerned that adequate water be stored in the Lake. We believe that our technical analysis of water supply requirements ad historic data from drought years, show that existing and future users dependent upon the Lake can be safely protected with a lower average Lake level.

30 years of SFWMD historic data indicate that average annual irrigation demand on the Lake from all users is about 800,000 acre feet. The Lake storage required to serve this demand is about twice as much water, or about 1.6 M acre feet due to evapotranspiration losses from the Lake. The Lake area is about 470,000 acres. Storage of 1.6M acre feet equates to about 3.4 feet of water over the Lake during the average year.

The greatest single annual potable water usage we can identify during the period 1971 through 1998 is about 140,000 acre feet. This was mainly supplied via canals to South Florida to prevent salt water intrusion into wellfields when Water Conservation Area levels were extremely low one year, rather than potable water consumption The average annual water supply for all potable uses from the Lake appears to be about 40,000 acre feet, or about 5% of annual irrigation use.

Sugar Production is by far the largest consumer of irrigation water from the Lake. The study of sugar production in the EAA since 1971 shows there is no relationship between tons of sugar per acre and rainfall amounts. The small yearly variations in sugar production, and gradually increasing production over the past decades, indicate that both irrigation and drainage for this particular industry have been outstanding.

During the most extreme drought over the past thirty years, when water supply restrictions have been implemented by SFWMD, as little as 400,000 acre feet of Lake water have been supplied to the EAA for irrigation. SFWMD published extensive technical reports of drought conditions during the years 1970-71, and in 1988-90. Lake Okeechobee levels dropped below 10.5 feet and as low as 9.8 feet during these drought years. However, we find no historic data which relate a shortage of Lake water for irrigation to a loss of agriculture production.

The Run 25 Lake regulation schedule, recently modified to be called WSE, was based in significant part upon perditions of economic losses by agriculture. The schedule adjusted Lake storage upward from historic averages to prevent economic losses to the sugar industry. SFWMD publications predicted more than a hundred million dollars if losses due to inadequate water storage in the Lake. However, there is no actual economic loss recorded during the period 1971 through 1988 to corroborate these theoretical losses.

Upon further analysis, we find that SFWMD predictions of economic losses to agriculture interests from drought are based upon a theoretical model of water shortfalls, which in turn is based on theoretical evapotranspiration predicted for optimum crop production.

Using sugar production as our example, we find there has never been a loss of sugar production in the Everglades Agricultural area due to a lack of irrigation water 9 or drainage) during the period of record. in only one year , 1981, lower production in tons per acre correspond with a drought year. That particular year was further investigated by SFWMD and slightly lower sugar production was reported to be associated with a winter freeze rather than a lack of irrigation water. We believe that the present Lake regulation schedule , particularly the stages intended at the end of the dry season, are designed to store enough water to meet a "perfect" water supply scenario for agriculture irrigation. The factual history reported by SFWMD and the USDA shows that the water necessary to sustain agriculture activities such as sugar production is much less than the theoretical models indicate.

Having never observed an economic loss in the past 30 years, and when the real needs for agricultural supply in a drought year have been met with 400,000 acre feet, it appears that the average Lake Okeechobee level could be reduced by approximately 1.3 feet without significant economic risk to agriculture interests.

It should be noted that during this entire period of history that the Kissimmee River Basin has never been regulated with regard to water consumptive needs. In other words, the Kissimmee Vally is not managed to maximize seasonal upstream storage and minimize high rate outflows to the Lake.

The past 6 years of excessive water levels have brought Lake Okeechobee upon the brink of environmental disaster. The Estuaries have been pounded repeatedly with high water releases from the Lake due to these excessive discharges, which were brought on by the higher than average water levels. We need immediate help for the Lake and the Estuaries in the form of a lower average water level in the lake.

This report also shows that the water levels have defiantly been adjusted for the use of sugar production at the expense of the environment in South Florida and specifically Lake Okeechobee and its drainage area. With the sugar industries powerful lobbying group in Washington, DC, they control the water levels to enhance their needs with no regard to the damages caused to the environment of the Lake. Again proving that money can buy the death of anything.

contributions were made by Walt Reynolds.

BACK

Clewiston, FL. 33440

863-983-8692
Hosting by Bass N Edge