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Posts: 109 Deckhand
Reminder that a Southbound Flowway Out of Lake O is Needed
auburn fishing
Posts: 109 Deckhand
The advance weather report makes me uneasy. One day
there will come a time when a southbound flowway out
of Lake O will certainly be needed! When that day arrives,
I fear there'll be no such available flowway for a continuing
fresh water pile up in Lake O! ... "a failure to plan is a plan
to fail!"
there will come a time when a southbound flowway out
of Lake O will certainly be needed! When that day arrives,
I fear there'll be no such available flowway for a continuing
fresh water pile up in Lake O! ... "a failure to plan is a plan
to fail!"
Replies
there will come a time when a southbound flowway out
of Lake O will be needed! When that day arrives, I fear
there'll be no such available flowway for fresh water when
it continues to pile up in Lake O ... "a failure to plan is a
plan to fail!"
I'm not done yet! See article "On the Conservation Front"
in the Dec. 2015 Fla. Sportsman, "Bad Bloom on Florida
Bay"! That article is a caveat to the lack of a southbound
flow when, over the years, excess water has accumulated
in O.. The high salinities in Florida Bay to the south are
caused to a large degree by the LACK of a normal water-
flow south during wet times. Those who could be making
a difference don't ever seem to 'get it'! This whole issue
will NEVER go away until it's FACED and there is A WILL
to get it remedied!!
Some of you know a lot of my work has been on Everglades Restoration projects. I worked on projects back in 1992 that still are not part of an operational system.
about everything! For what it's worth, an editorial article
was published some months ago in Florida Sportsman
magazine stating that over 200 environmental scientists
advocated the need for a flowway south out of Lake O.. I'm
sure that was neither coincidental nor accidental. The sum-
mer of 2013 was a testament to that! Much of the time
since, we just seem to get "lucky" as the amount of state
wide rainfall falls short of Lake O rising to dangerous levels
and requiring the release (dumping) of significant amounts
of polluting fresh water into the estuaries on both coasts
-and making waterfront residents sick!! Where ELSE can it
go??
Meanwhile hypersalinic conditions have been existing in
the southern parts of Everglades Nat'l. Park and in parts
of Florida Bay, jeopardizing the sea grasses and other
marine resources. How much "noise" have we been hear-
ing about sea grasses and docks in this area? A double
standard!!
This is NOT THE TIME to "put up and shut up"!!! When
a real 'wet event' happens, there are going to be lots
and lots of unhappy people (not to mention myself)!
And, shortly, an environment with virtually nothing to
be had!! Repetition is a slow killer -but it is a killer! The
answer is the same. These projects need to be begun!
I enjoy the diving south of Port Salerno. I would love for them to send Lake O overflow south and not wreck Port Salerno.
Here is how that happens.
http://sfwmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=a9072c94b5c144d8a8af14996ce23bca&webmap=d8e767997b0d494494243ffbc7f6f861
System constraints involving water quality, system capacity, conveyance, listed species and consent decrees over many years have created a compartmentalized system.
Creating a so-called southern flowway is not only impractical but impossible to meet and overcome those constraints.
That system cannot and will not look, function or operate any differently in the future. It is and will be an engineered system. Optimizing that system is the challenges that water managers work towards.
All the future system planning, programs and projects will not prevent water from the Lake being released to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee systems for flood control.
That is the inescapable reality of the legacy of the Lake. What is done cannot be undone without the displacement of cities, highways, populations, agricultural commerce, endangered species and sovereign nations.
And that is not a matter of money or political will, but of engineering and law.
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
advocate a southbound frowway out of Lake O.. It's not lost, and in
fairness, that water diverted into the large storage areas to the south
of the lake IS water moved south!! A quite substantial amount of fresh
water at that! Maybe some way could be found to get this water to the
southern part of Everglades Nat'l. Park, even Florida Bay, where "hyper-
salinic conditions" are alleged.
Another editorial in Florida Sportsman (back when) rejoiced over these
water storage areas! We are at a point where little more can be done
-even with an "additional flowway" of some sort- to avert an ultimate set
of discharges into the 2 main estuaries should conditions (forbid) become
severe enough. It's my guess is we're not close THAT point. So, the con-
jecture continues.
These scientists did agree on the need for such a flowway -maybe in
conjunction with the current water diversions now being used. These
individuals, I'm sure, stand taller than I and are, additionally, better
credentialed on all such environmental ramifications and "legalese".
Why don't we consult them and see what, or if, anything more need be
considered? I DO NOT want to see the St. Lucie area and parts of Lake
Worth lagoon become "something short of a dead zone" ... OR WORSE.
Please take the time to study and understand the information that I previously provided. You will see that both areas are not endangered, while flood protection for the 8 million people residing here, along with their property, water supplies and sustainable natural areas are preserved.
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
storing capacity and water begins to be "passed to tide"
(from the WCAs), where does that water ("passed to tide")
go? That's 'terminology' I'm not clear on.
I'm probably a little defensive towards these 'estuary areas'
I mentioned above since I've fished both regularly for years.
It's a matter of learning to read all of that 'fine print' after
'clicking' on the individual conservation areas (particularly,
areas #s 7, 8, and 9).
I have always checked the Lake O water level at the Lake
O SFWMD site. That's SIMPLE!! When I see water levels
creep up when those levels are already at, say, 14.6ft.,
I'm not "a happy camper".
Water from the EAA dos not flow north to Lake Okeechobee as you can see on the exhibit.
Here's how it works:
http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/managing_every_drop.pdf
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
Feel-good wise, yes, a natural southward flow of water from Lake O through the Everglades would be the natural way. Unfortunately, Lake O flooded the surrounding communities, lots of people died, so we (collectively, obviously) had to fix it to protect human life. So water must be controlled through the systems we put in place.
Also keep in mind that the environment is highly dynamic, and plants and animals are highly adaptable.
there's an ongoing issue in south part of E-glades
Nat'l. Park and in Florida Bay with excessively salty
water, due in large part, to a lack of fresh water in-
gress into the area. The water system south of Lake
O, in conjunction with WCAs 1, 2, and 3, shows pro-
mise. It would seem that if water from the WCAs can
direct down into WCA 3 and, then find egress into
E-glades Nat'l. Park and, hence, into the areas north
of Fla. Bay, that'd provide much needed fresh water
to 'this parched region', helping to lower Lake O with,
if possible, NO or, at least, MINIMAL (normal worst
case scenario) destructive discharges east and west
into those estuaries!
I sure hope this is where 'the Everglades Restoration'
is headed. Cumulative outflow must balance cumulative
inflow (very much includes the Kissimmee system, be-
ginning south of Orlando)! We KNEW "wet times" would
come! The weather forecasts concern me.
Conveyance restrictions imposed at the S-12 structures
Conveyance restrictions imposed by the Old Tamiami Trail
The limited ability to flow water into the east side of the Park.
In addition there is an Endangered Species challenge in the Park, the Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow.
The Sparrow restricts the operations of the S-12A and S-12B structures. They are shut down, one in November and one in January, through July 15, a period when large Lake releases are often made.
Two emergency projects have been pursued to incrementally improve the first two constraints:
Removing vegetation at S-12A and S-12B
Cutting a new gap in Old Tamiami Trail
A federal process is underway to begin limited flow into the eastern section of the Park. This will be a multi-year effort and does not include the prospect of major releases from the Lake.
This inability to move water out of the south end causes the water to stack up in the WCAs and stops the flow of water moving south.
Here is the guidance documentation:
http://141.232.10.32/pm/pm_docs/ertp/final_dec_2011/rod/102612_ertp_rod_appendix%20a_101912.pdf
Here are the operational constraints:
http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/gb_pres_system_constraints_2015_0312.pdf
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
and necessary measure! One, to me, is absurdly frivolous
and stupid (this sounds bureaucracy/environmentalist
inspired) about "the bird"!! (I thought birds could fly.)
Considering the alternative specter of continued estuarine
deterioration and quality of life, this measure simply cannot
be 'put aside' (given the continuing gradual and disturbing
rise in the lake!!!)
Tamiami Trail is another matter. A good deal of considerably
expensive construction projects might allow for more water
flowing south. This would not be easy by any measure, but
may well become a necessity! From what I've heard about
south Everglades and, more, Florida bay, magnifies this
essentiality!! Ways of life in these regions are jeopardized
when it becomes necessary to release deadening amounts
of dirty fresh water into systems fighting to stay viable!!
-while Florida bay "stays parched"!!! There are countless life
forms dependent on the estuaries, as well as the benefits
to whole communities when this system can be kept healthy.
Good question.
One of the popular misconceptions of the system operation is that water from the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) south of the Lake where sugar is grown, flows north back into it.
It does not.
Water deliveries from the Lake to the C-44 on the east and C-43 to the west are from the lake itself. That water comes form two sources, locally from stormwater and from the Kissimmee river to the north. The Kissimmee transports many agriculturally sourced nutrients from farmlands and ranches along its path. These flows raise nutrient levels in the Lake.
The Kissimmee river restoration project has recreated the historic flow way and will help reduce the nutrients entering the lake. There is however a great need to intercept , store and treat that water prior to its finding it's way to the lake.
So to answer your question, the water must move south in the engineered system which is still being constructed. Stormwater concerns and lake level restriction will always require discharges from the lake to estuaries.
Of chief concern is regulating the salinity of the estuaries. The freshwater being discharge in it itself is reason for concern. The construction of the C-44 reservoir on the east coast and the C-43 reservoir on the west will attenuate or limit those flows to prevent large pulses of fresh water entering and shocking the natural systems.
It is important to understand that the system functions primarily for flood control and protects life and property. Without those protections in place, life as we know it is South Florida would not be possible.
My name is Gary. Mr. Colecchio lives with Doris in Palm Beach Gardens.:wink
"Well Gary, the easiest way to look tall is to stand in a room full of short people." - Curtis Bostick
"All these forums, with barely any activity, are like a neglected old cemetery that no one visits anymore."- anonymouse
that gives me hope is "water MUST move south in
the engineered system which is STILL BEING CON-
STRUCTED". That's the key!! I can't begin to tell
you how important this is!!!
Common sense and previous information tells me
that estuarine releases to the east and west are
unavoidable given "dire enough" circumstances
-principally an inflow that exceeds the Lake O
height level restrictions to safeguard its system
of anti-flood dikes mainly to the south.
Somehow, getting this excess water south is ab-
solutely vital! -not only for the St. Lucie and Ca-
loosahatchee waterways (which includes the West
Palm Beach Canal with its S155A gate and C-51
into Lake Worth Lagoon ... likely coastal points
farther south as well), but for extreme south Ever-
glades and, consequently, fresh water starved
Florida Bay!!
My first experience in activism came as a young boy in the late 70's traversing hwy80/27/74 from our house in wellington to our other house in Tampa. My dad, who did not seem to get his feathers ruffled by too much aside from rude people at the boat ramp, used to get hot over all the sugar being grown south of the lake and how the government was paying higher than world market prices for this sugar. I later learned what a Subsidy meant and went on to study marine biology and oceanography in college. Living in and around Palm Beach, with my then girlfriend and later future wife working at the Everglades club on Worth Avenue, we also learned what it meant to be a Fanjul (A wealthy dispossessed Cuban family with a real sweet tooth) - Domino Sugar, Florida Crystals, C&H Sugar, Redpath Sugar, and Tate & Lyle European Sugar, just to name some of their business interests outside of real estate companies, resorts, and international airport ownership.
Having grown up fishing the everglades national park and experienced that period when there was so much fresh water, the deer were stranded and starving and the bass fishing was out of this universe in the backcountry, I have enough perspective on how it should/could be, and why it is not today.
There was tons of money to do all kinds of great projects (a friend who owns murphy construction in WPB can attest to many of these projects that were put on hold) and it would all be wonderful and great for the "river of grass" to be returned, but it's simple politics and private interest that stand in the way.
The same issue that was in the way when I was a boy stands today as a 43 year old man; The Fanjuls own sugar plantations in the DR where we could purchase sugar free of subsidy, and import at world market prices. I recall decades ago the issue of "lost jobs for americans" should this change happen but I think we all know it's mostly illegals that comprise the work force south of the lake.
When $500,000 donations to the Governor from Big sugar are conveniently erased down the memory hole of public records as recently as 2014, I don't have much reason to think anything has changed on this situation.
That orange colored block on the first photo should sum up what stands in the way of water flowing south in any resemblance of what it used to. "EVERGLADES AGRICULTURAL AREA" Follow the money from there....
Maribella Charters, LLC
www.MaribellaCharters.com
ph: 772.222.7101
[email protected]
I kind of see it like New Orleans in a way...Common sense says that place should not even exist and Katrina proved why nature will overcome every man made engineering feat eventually. 100 years ago, before the area south of Lake O was planted with exotics to increase evaporation,backfilled, and was developed for profit by a few, we had a much easier window of opportunity. Tough to turn back time now but I think it comes down to mattering "who's" doing it now in the present time. When 1 trillion in additional spending can pass in the wee hours of the night with not a single senator actually reading the legislation, you can see that "who's" doing it matters in what gets done. To also sneak through CIPSA in this 1500+ page bill was another "matters who's doing it" example in this omnibust package we will all have to deal with moving forward.
Just think what even a fraction of that kind of money could do to solve our little NIMBY situation south of the lake...
Thanks for the links shared in this thread and I do hope that enough people become aware of this situation and that it may matter enough in our lifetimes..
Maribella Charters, LLC
www.MaribellaCharters.com
ph: 772.222.7101
[email protected]
It is crazy the way we pass bills that no one reads and then after they are passed you had better obey every jot and tittle of the law or else you are in big trouble.