The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will release water from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River. Unfortunately, this will harm the river's estuary due to the freshwater flows. Since Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, the water level in Lake Okeechobee has been higher than usual, rising over two feet in fall 2022."Since those storms, the Army Corps has been working to manage the lake, attempting to lower it at times, and 'banking' water when it deemed releases were not prudent," said SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis. "Now, however, a wetter dry season due to El Niño has prevented the drawdown we normally expect to see during the drier winter months." The current water level of Lake Okeechobee is at 16.38 feet, which falls under the 'intermediate' category of LORS08, the lake's current management schedule. This means up to 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water can be released from the lake into the Caloosahatchee. As more rainfall is expected, the Corps has decided to release water from the lake to prevent flooding.Lake releases start this Saturday. 6,300 cfs total to be discharged: 4,000 to Caloosahatchee, 1,800 to St. Lucie Estuary, and 500 to Lake Worth Lagoon.According to the report, when the lake discharges into the river, it will harm the estuary. This effect will be intensified by rainfall in the river's basin, adding to the runoff. The Army Corps will work with stakeholders to determine the duration of release. The SCCF will ensure releases protect the estuary's health and provide recommendations through weekly reports to water managers."The estuary relies on a balance of salt and fresh water to provide the appropriate balance within the ecosystems to support tapegrass, seagrass, oysters, and other estuarine organisms. If too much fresh water enters the system for too long, it can stress organisms past their tolerance levels," DePaolis said. "If the releases continue into oyster spawning season, there is a risk of damaging future oyster populations. SCCF will engage the Army Corps to ensure they do their best to protect the ecosystem's health."The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warns that water releases from the lake can fuel harmful algal blooms in the estuary and carry blue-green algae. No significant algal blooms are forming in the lake. Nutrient-rich flows from the lake could fuel a future red tide bloom. Research shows that Lake O releases can boost red tide blooms if present in the Gulf of Mexico."A large red tide bloom would be devastating to our wildlife, our environment, and the economy of our islands and coastal communities that are still recovering from Ian almost a year and a half later," DePaolis said. According to a recent economic report by SCCF, Captains for Clean Water, and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, a severe harmful algal bloom could result in the loss of more than $5 billion in economic output for our coastal communities, putting over 43,000 jobs at risk.