The United States Army Corps of Engineers is currently writing a new playbook for how and when they send water our way from Lake Okeechobee, and it's not looking good for us.
Last week the Chairman of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, Kevin Ruane, wrote a letter to them imploring that they change their proposed rules. He stated, "All four plans that included decision trees appear to be varying levels of devastating for the Caloosahatchee Estuary. These plans are unacceptable."
Thanks to Commissioner Ruane and other Commissioners for taking this approach with the Corps of Engineers responsible for considering all interests during this process. We are at a point where they view Lee County taxpayers as a revenue source and a place to put their dirty water, and that's it.
It's time that we unite as one voice and let the Army Corps of Engineers know that any balanced plan must decrease high-volume discharges and increase optimal flows. We cannot continue to be starved for water in the dry season only to be deluged by high volume discharges weeks later as the rainy season arrives. As they continue to draft this new playbook, they must hear from all of us.
