Florida's $2 billion Lake Okeechobee reservoir plan won't clean water enough, Everglades expert says
A multi-billion-dollar government plan to build a reservoir to curb South Floridas noxious algae outbreaks sparked by manure, fertilizer and sewage pollution is drawing renewed opposition, with a top wetlands expert concluding that its not big enough, its designed wrong and could end up fouling the Everglades.
Two environmental groups say its time with a new governor and a new water management panel to go back to the drawing board and design it right.
The state Legislature passed the Lake Okeechobee reservoir plan in 2017 to great fanfare.
The original concept would have created a large basin covering 60,000 acres south of the lake, coupled with wetlands to filter water. The idea was to divert Lake Okeechobees polluted water there to get filtered instead of being discharged as it is now east through the St. Lucie River to the Atlantic and west through the Caloosahatchee River to the Gulf.
Read more: https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2019/08/16/floridas-2-billion-lake-okeechobee-reservoir-plan-wont-clean-water-enough-everglades-expert-says/