Last week was a big week for Everglades restoration. Today I will share two important  “informationals” that you may have missed. Both announcements were made last Friday, October 29, 2021.

I.

IDS- Integrated Delivery Schedule Final 2021, Army Corps of Engineers. 2021 SFER Integrated Deliver Schedule_Final Draft_29 October 2021. This colorful and somewhat overwhelming chart is updated each each year as a timeline for the Central and Southern Florida Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, or CERP.

The St Lucie and Loxahatchee watersheds as well as the EAA Reservoir are all noted on this schedule. The big recent additions are the C-23/C-24 Reservoir/STA components in St Lucie County and the Loxahatchee River watershed in southern Martin and Palm Beach counties. The C-44 Reservoir -that has been on the IDS for many renditions- is located in Indiantown and will be going on-line this year as the first completed major CERP project!

To study this chart, click on link above, familiarize yourself with the key at the top, note color coding by timeframe/Congressional approval, and type. It’s pretty cool once one figures out how to read it!

-Excerpt with Indian River Lagoon South’s C-23/C-24, C-44 etc…-Excerpt Loxahatchee River just authorized in WRDA 2020

Click here to see all slides from the ACOE’s IDS presentation: Public Engagement Workshop_IDS Final Draft_29 October 2021

II.

LOSOM – Lake Okeechobee System Operation Manual

By now you have certainly heard of LOSOM (Lake Okeechobee System Operation Manual) that is replacing LORS (Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule.) If you haven’t, basically the operation schedule for Lake Okeechobee is being updated in line with the anticipated completion of improvements of the Herbert Hoover Dike.

For over two years, the ACOE has patiently taken input from stakeholders and the public. They had originally expected to announce their final output on November 2, 2021, but have decided to postpone their final announcement until November 16, 2021. Why did they postpone? Read here:  ACOE LOSOM press release. Even after November 16th the process will continue as the operations manual is written. LOSOM is on the IDS above and listed as a “Non-CERP” project (light blue at top.)

A lot of exciting things are happening for the St Lucie and for the Greater Everglades. Most definitely there is a reason for hope.

Keep the pressure on, be empathetic to all, and never forget how hard we have worked since 2013.

-Lake Okeechobee at Port Mayaca and C-44 Canal 2018. Photo JTL/EL