Federal plan could eventually help reduce ‘Lake O’ water levels

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued an emergency order to execute a plan that could eventually help reduce water levels at Lake Okeechobee.

The order comes hours after Gov. Rick Scott requested the Corps of Engineers to raise the water level of the L-29 canal to 8.5 feet so that “substantial volumes” of water can be moved from Water Conservation Area 3 through the Shark River Slough.

The conservation area is located in the Everglades, where there is heavy flooding, between Alligator Alley to the north and Tamiami Trail to the south.

Raising the water levels required a deviation from the agency’s approved water control plan, which the emergency order allows for, Corps of Engineers Spokesman John Campbell said. Changing the plan under normal circumstances would otherwise require a considerable environmental review, Campbell said.

If the plan works, it could be applied to help reduce water levels at Lake Okeechobee, Campbell said.