*Please note comments become public record.
Temporary Flight Restrictions were in place this weekend as President Trump and the First Lady were visiting their home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach. The restrictions go right up to the edge of Stuart, thus it was not possible to fly into the Crossroads or St Lucie Inlet to continue documenting the discharges that began on February 23, 2019.
Instead, today, I am posting a link to an article by Tyler Treadway of TCPalm entitled:
If Army Corps stops Lake Okeechobee discharges soon, St. Lucie River Suffers Little Harm. It states:
“Two weeks of Lake Okeechobee discharges haven’t caused much damage to the St. Lucie River estuary, but an environmental expert says extending the releases much longer could be devastating.
The Army Corps of Engineers, which started discharging lake water to the river estuary Feb. 25 at an average daily rate of about 323 million gallons, plans for the releases to continue at least until March 16.
They’d better not last much longer, said Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart.”
Full article: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/health/2019/03/08/lake-okeechobee-discharges/3058538002/
From what I understand the releases are scheduled for 21 days which would put them through around March 15, 2019.
Ed did fly to Zephyr Hills near Tampa, so I asked him to take photos of that trip. Below you can see Moore Haven, S-308 Port Mayaca, Lake Okeechobee, and other aerials of interest. Ed said he saw no cyanobacteria or blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee.
Near Tampa, Zephyr Hills area – area one sees what looks like phosphate ponds, mines this is a big issue for water quality for rivers like the Peace and others in Central Florida.
Ed and I will try for an update of the discharges next week!
Dear Ms. Thurlow-Lippisch, I happily look forward to your internet posts about all things Treasure Coast, it’s interesting history and currently, the issue concerning the IRL and surrounding areas still being damaged by the water discharges from Lake O. Which brings me to the reason for this note. On Tuesday morning, March 4th, while on one of my frequent visits to Stuart, I often end the visit stopping at Sandsprit park. I saw something I have not seen in 10 years of visiting the park. It was crystal clear water and had it not been for the overcast sky, the water would have resembled the Keys or Bahamas. I saw stingrays, snook, sea turtles, sheepshead, mullet. Although the sediment is quite apparent, seeing a variety of fish suggests much hope for the future. The first thing I thought of was you any your tremendous efforts for water quality. Someone at the park suggested the tides had much to do with the clear water. Anyway you look at it, I was like an excited child. I have looked forward to someday live in Martin County, but was somewhat disappointed by the insurmountable problem of polluted discharges and the resulting damage to the river. After seeing the clear water and what could be, I’m confident that with your continued leadership, better days are ahead. Many thanks, Mark Stellakingphysh@bellsouth.net305-4335-4434
Thank you so much for your comments. That is wonderful news. I too am hopeful. There is a lot of flushing from the inlet in that area which also helps. I can’t believe you saw a turtle! So cool!