Gov. Rick Scott announces plan to expedite repairs of Herbert Hoover Dike

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Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks in Clewiston on Feb. 1. Credit: Taylor Bisacky

No one likes to see brown, murky water along our Southwest Florida beaches.

Thursday afternoon Governor Rick Scott announced a plan to expedite the repairs of the Herbert Hoover Dike to help fix this problem.

The dike is a 143-mile earthen dam that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, protecting the surrounding area from flooding keeping water in the lake. For communities surrounding the dike and lake, these repairs are crucial.

Scott announced his proposed $50 million dollar investment to expedite the repairs.

Repairs mean the dike can hold more and ultimately have less brown murky water from traveling to our beaches through Lake O water releases.

Some have concerns that repairs would lead to even higher water levels in the lake, but that will be decided by the corp of engineers on what’s safe to do.

In October President Donald Trump said he would work with Gov. Scott to get additional federal funds to repair the 80-year-old dike.

The Army Corps of Engineers is about halfway through a $1.7 billion renovation program, scheduled for completion in 2025. Scott wants to see the project finished by 2022.

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