Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration

​Excess freshwater during the wet season and inadequate freshwater during the dry season along with excess nutrients in surface water bodies is a widespread, complex, multi-dimensional problem that requires focused investment and regional-scale and local-scale water storage infrastructure and water quality treatment strategies. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the roadmap to addressing these issues. However, the pace of CERP implementation has been disappointingly slow, with many projects delayed indefinitely or re-formulated with reduced scopes.

No estuary or community should have to endure short-term toxic algae bloom conditions or long-term water quality degradation that have resulted due to the cumulative impacts of decades of excess stormwater flows via the regional water management system. Unfortunately, instead of looking toward a comprehensive regional strategy, much recent discussion has focused on drastically lowering Lake Okeechobee. Drastically lowering Lake Okeechobee has the potential to negatively affect public water supply utilities, businesses and communities throughout Palm Beach County.