Wednesday, May 31, 2023
  • Login
  • Register
Southern Boating
  • Boats
    • Center Consoles
    • Dual Consoles
    • Motoryachts
    • Power Cats
    • Sport Cruisers
    • Tenders & Ribs
  • Destinations
    • Bahamas
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • U.S. Atlantic
    • U.S. Gulf
  • Engines
    • Engine Buyers Guide
  • Maintenance
    • DIY
  • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
  • Gear
  • Shop
  • Web Reader
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • Boats
    • Center Consoles
    • Dual Consoles
    • Motoryachts
    • Power Cats
    • Sport Cruisers
    • Tenders & Ribs
  • Destinations
    • Bahamas
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • U.S. Atlantic
    • U.S. Gulf
  • Engines
    • Engine Buyers Guide
  • Maintenance
    • DIY
  • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
  • Gear
  • Shop
  • Web Reader
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Southern Boating
No Result
View All Result
Home Destinations U.S. Gulf
Lake Okeechobee Construction

Lake Okeechobee Construction

August 1, 2017
in U.S. Gulf
0
585
SHARES
3.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare via Email

Boaters win some, lose some with Florida’s State Budget

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT HAS ISSUED a modern-day record number of vetoes impacting nearly a dozen West Coast Florida projects.

There is some good news, however, as a special session deal with lawmakers allocated a surprising $50 million for improvements to the Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee. Recreational boating and tourism on both coasts will benefit in the long run, easing water discharges that led to massive algae blooms affecting water quality, damage to estuaries and fish kills.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) estimates that shoring up the entire 143-mile dike, with an environmentally friendly solution involving the construction of a seepage berm with relief trench and drainage system, will take decades and nearly a billion dollars, perhaps funded by the federal government. Construction would be in eight phases, starting with a 21-mile-long southeast shore section where the potential for dike failure is the greatest. Phase One of the Lake Okeechobee Construction would take about four years to complete.

Transiting boaters are often delayed in the spring as the Corps discharges water from the lake to keep the elevation between 12.5 and 15.5 feet. There is limited potential for dike failure with lake elevations lower than 18.5 feet. Analytical studies show a dike failure would be likely at one or more locations if the water level in Lake Okeechobee reached an elevation of 21 feet. By opening locks on either side of the lake, water levels drop only about 0.4 inches per day under ideal conditions. That is no match for Mother Nature, especially during a hurricane, as the amount of water entering Lake Okeechobee is much greater than the total discharged, which leads to environmental challenges to the St. Lucie River, Indian River Lagoon and Caloosahatchee Estuaries.

The containment dike was first constructed in the 1910s, and after the “Great Miami” hurricane of 1926 and the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane killing thousands.  Herbert Hoover and the USACE engaged in a massive flood control project for construction of floodway channels, control gates, and major levees. The dike was expanded again in the 1960s and is now about 30 feet high on average, but it leaks. For those who live downstream and have businesses affected by discharges, deeper lake water may mean fewer harmful discharges, but it could also harm flora and fauna in the lake. So there is no easy answer, but the $50 million is a start for Lake Okeechobee construction.

By Alan Wendt, Southern Boating August 2017

Tags: dikesfloodwayhurricane surgeLake Okeechobee Constructionleeveslocksspillway
Previous Post

Pirate Month in the Carolinas

Next Post

Asian Fusion Menu

Next Post
Asian Fusion Menu

Asian Fusion Menu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Bermuda

Bermuda

July 1, 2014
3.2k
Hatteras M98 Panacera – 2021 Long Range Cruisers Roundup

Hatteras M98 Panacera – 2021 Long Range Cruisers Roundup

June 8, 2021
3.3k

Don't miss it

Day 5 – Anegada Island: Great Lobster, Spectacular Reefs, and more
Featured

Day 5 – Anegada Island: Great Lobster, Spectacular Reefs, and more

May 31, 2023
3.3k
Remembering The Past – Looking To The Future
Marketgauge

Remembering The Past – Looking To The Future

May 31, 2023
3.3k
Powerful Shift: Sterndrive to Outboard Conversions Surge!
Haul-Out Guide

Powerful Shift: Sterndrive to Outboard Conversions Surge!

May 31, 2023
3.5k
Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing: Screamin’ Reels Tournament Hooks Success!
Featured

Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing: Screamin’ Reels Tournament Hooks Success!

May 31, 2023
3.3k
Day 4 – Revitalized and Beautiful: Leverick Bay to Bitter End
Lifestyle

Day 4 – Revitalized and Beautiful: Leverick Bay to Bitter End

May 30, 2023
3.3k
Day 3 – Virgin Gorda’s Enchanting Secrets: Adventures With The Moorings
Lifestyle

Day 3 – Virgin Gorda’s Enchanting Secrets: Adventures With The Moorings

May 29, 2023
3.3k
Facebook Instagram TikTok Youtube LinkedIn

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
logo

1591 E. Atlantic Blvd, 2nd Floor
Pompano Beach, FL 33060
Office: +1 (954) 522-5515
Fax: +1 (954) 522-2260
Contact us: info@southernboating.com


Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the best in boating weekly direct to your inbox!

No Result
View All Result
  • Boats
    • Center Consoles
    • Dual Consoles
    • Motoryachts
    • Power Cats
    • Sport Cruisers
    • Tenders & Ribs
  • Destinations
    • Bahamas
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • U.S. Atlantic
    • U.S. Gulf
  • Engines
    • Engine Buyers Guide
  • Maintenance
    • DIY
  • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
  • Gear
  • Shop
  • Web Reader
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise

© 2023 Southern Boating Media

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy