Lake O Releases to Caloosahatchee Expected soon due to Water Level

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is worried about how quickly the level of Lake Okeechobee is rising, and a way to fix that is to release the water down the river.

Calusa waterkeeper John Cassani said too much freshwater can make the water look dark and divided.

“You see almost this turquoise color versus this almost coffee black color, a very dramatic contrast between the two water types,” Cassani said.

The Army Corps of Engineers says water levels in Lak O have jumped more than a foot over the past month, so water must be released to protect the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding the lake.

That’s something Cassani says could harm waterways in Southwest Florida.

“When you completely turn that to freshwater, it really has an impact on the animals, especially those that can’t swim away, like clams and oysters,” Cassani said.