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Aug 27, 2008 5:42 pm US/Eastern
Lake "O" On The Rise, But Hopefully Not Too Much
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Thanks to Tropical Storm Fay and all the rain it brought central and south Florida, water levels in the once drought-stricken Lake Okeechobee are on the rise. The lake water level reached 13.81 inches on Wednesday.
"It's at its highest level since April 2006," said George Horne of South Florida Water Management District. He added, "This is the quickest we have ever seen it come up."
Currently, the South Florida Water Management District is moving more than 100,000 gallons of water per second through a chain of lakes in Kissimmee and the Kissimmee River as part of their plan to manage water levels after Fay.
The Kissimmee Basin is where most of the lake's water comes from and authorities predict lake levels will rise another foot to foot and a half in the next couple of weeks as rainfall from Fay drains south from the Kissimmee Basin.
The lake, a backup drinking water source for 5 million people, rose more than two feet in a single week after Fay. It was the first time the lake saw such a dramatic rise in recorded history, dating back to 1931.
Fay also swelled the rainfall total so far for August to about 10.6 inches throughout the South Water Florida Water Management District's 16-county region from Orlando to the Keys. That's about double the typical amount for this time of year. Across the state, Fay dropped more than 30 inches of rain in some places.
Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor removed Lake Okeechobee from drought status along with the rest of South Florida.
Despite the rise in lake water levels, it does not mean the water shortage is over. Authorities say the lake was in the same situation a few years ago, before this crisis started. Consequently, the South Florida Water Management District is moving forward on permanent water use restrictions.
Fay's massive amount of rainfall and the possibility that another tropical storm or hurricane this season could cause too much rain to pour into the lake has the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers watching the lake levels very closely.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the lake level and according to South Florida Water Management officials, the Corps could release water from the lake if it gets too high due to the possibility that the Herbert Hoover Dike could fail and flood surrounding areas and communities.
The
Herbert Hoover Dike is an earthen dike system that encircles Lake Okeechobee for 140 miles. The Corps admits that when the lake reaches high water levels, the Herbert Hoover Dike leaks. If those leaks get too large, it creates a serious risk that the dike will breach.
When could that happen?
If and when the lake reaches approximately 16 and a half feet, the Corps becomes concerned and considers a water release due to the stress on the dike. Currently, the Corps is not planning any water releases at this time, according to its website. Normal operating levels for the lake are between 12.5 and 15.5 feet which is a safe range for the Herbert Hoover Dike structure.
The situation can become unsafe when water levels reach 17.25 feet. At that point, there is a limited potential for dike failure. The likelihood of a failure increases at higher lake levels.
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