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- Pollution of Lake Okeechobee, United States
Problems
The majority of Floridians are aware of the issues following the largest lake in their state. Lake Okeechobee is almost 30 miles wide and is a truly impressive site. With a lake this big, one would assume that swimming must be very popular. Yet this is not the case with Lake Okeechobee due to the heavy pollution. This also applies to fishing: Okeechobee is a popular fishing spot but the fish there are not safe to eat due to the toxic algae that populate the lake. The pollution does not just stay in Lake Okeechobee: water movement causes Okeechobee’s pollution to become an issue across Florida.
Impact of the agricultural industry
One of the main causes of all the pollution is agriculture, as it causes pesticides and fertilizer which run off into the lake. This has caused a large amount of phosphorus in the water, which as a result causes toxic algae blooms this is called eutrophication.
Algae Blooms
Often described as a thick “guacamole” like sludge. Algae blooms cover the lake surface to such an extent that the aquatic plants cannot receive sunlight. Once the aquatic plant life dies, the lake is deprived of much-needed oxygen and the aquatic life dies off as well.
The issue with agricultural phosphorus
The problem is that phosphorus is hard to get rid of. Phosphorus forms a strong chemical bond with soil. Meaning that only a small amount is released from the soil at any given time. Most typically, phosphorus is released when rain and flooding move the groundwater south. Because of the slow release of phosphorus, it is estimated that 450 – 500 metric tons of phosphorus drain into Lake Okeechobee each year. Theoretically, this phosphorus could be draining into the lake for the next 400 years. Scientists call this “legacy phosphorus.” There is currently no sound plan to remove it.
Solutions
Lake Okeechobee Restoration Projects
Author: South Florida Water Management District
Lake Okeechobee restoration efforts are underway. The Florida Legislature enacted the 2000 Lake Okeechobee Protection Act and the subsequent Lake Okeechobee Protection Program to restore the lake and its watershed. The Lake Okeechobee Protection Program is a phased, comprehensive and innovative program. It is designed to restore and protect the lake by improving water quality and implementing long-term solutions through a variety of specific components. The Florida Legislature in 2007 expanded the Lake Okeechobee Protection Act to strengthen protection for the Northern Everglades by restoring and preserving the entire Lake Okeechobee watershed, including the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.
Gallery
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Timelines
2022
July
As of July 14, 2022, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reported that 45 percent of the lake was covered with algae or had conditions very conducive to it. The coverage is comparable to levels in July 2021 and 2020, but not as extreme as in 2018, when cyanobacteria blooms covered about 90 percent of the lake.
2016
For months during 2016, plumes of toxic algae turned South Florida’s emerald waters the color of coffee and smothered its inlets under a fetid blanket of guacamole-green goop that killed off fish, suffocated oyster beds and triggered a ferocious outcry from coastal residents.
2000
Despite these efforts, pollution levels in the lake remained high, and harmful algal blooms continued to occur, leading to widespread fish kills and beach closures.
1980
The state of Florida began implementing pollution reduction programs, such as the phosphorus rule, to limit the amount of nutrients entering the lake.
1960
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began managing the lake's water levels, which resulted in the release of nutrient-rich water to surrounding estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico, causing algal blooms and fish kills.
1940
Lake Okeechobee is fed by the Kissimmee River basin, a fertile area in South Florida that has been farmed for hundreds of years. From about the 1940s, the agricultural industry doused the area with phosphorus-rich fertilizer. During that time period, the area became home to highly productive cattle pastures and a thriving agricultural industry.