West Palm Beach, FL - The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has been working around the clock for months to lower water levels in the water conservation areas to create capacity for sending additional Lake Okeechobee water south, all in an effort to alleviate South Florida's high water emergency caused by record May rainfall and other recent storms.
As these ongoing efforts progress, SFWMD spokesman Randy Smith gave a video update on how to access pertinent information on the District's website. The update can be seen by
clicking HERE or visiting the District's website dedicated to the emergency situation at
www.sfwmd.gov/managinghighwater.
The video presents SFWMD's
Managing High Water website, which includes information on all the actions being taken by the District to mitigate the high water emergency caused by record May rainfall and other storms this year.
In the video, Smith discusses SFWMD's new
Restoration and Cost Sharing tracking website, which gives the public important information on how much the state and federal governments have invested in critical components of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to restore Florida's Everglades and send additional water south. The
Restoration and Cost Sharing tracking website also provides an in-depth timeline tracking the process for authorization and funding of the proposed EAA Storage Reservoir.
Smith also highlights the
Strategic Projects Interactive Map. The map allows users to click any one of the dozens of ongoing projects underway as part of the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, achieving the agency's four core missions of providing flood protection, restoring water quality, ensuring water supply and restoring natural systems. Information includes a project photo, name of the project manager and project status. SFWMD will continue to expand this online tool by regularly updating information about these and other projects that are part of the overall strategic plan in the coming weeks and months.
Other key SFWMD websites where the public can get information about efforts to fulfill the District's missions such as providing flood protection and restoring water quality in the Everglades include:
Background
Record rainfall in May caused Lake Okeechobee to rise more than a foot, which led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin releases from the lake on June 1 to the northern estuaries. At the same time, this record rainfall inundated the water conservation areas, causing them to rise considerably above their regulation schedules. To combat this, SFWMD has been taking every action within its authority to lower water levels, including storing water on public and private lands. Additionally, every available structure is being utilized and temporary pumps have been installed to move additional water.
Online channels to learn more about efforts to lower water levels
