Rep. Brian Mast demands Army Corps of Engineers halt Lake Okeechobee discharges

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast called for an immediate halt Tuesday of all Lake Okeechobee water discharges flowing into the St. Lucie Estuary.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is dumping toxic water from Lake Okeechobee into our backyards,” Mast said on X. “We’ve gone from water that was Bahama blue to water that you can’t even see your hands in anymore. A two-week ‘pause’ in toxic discharges is a slap in the face to our community. That’s why I’m demanding the Army Corps HALT all discharges.”

In a letter directed to Col. James Booth, Jacksonville District Commander of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Mast argued the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule, or LORS 2008, while allowing discharges, is not required to as part of its schedule.

Furthermore, under the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, or LOSOM model, Mast indicated discharges to the St. Lucie Estuary were “not advisable right now.” He also concluded, under LOSOM, the Corps is prohibited from discharging to the St. Lucie Estuary.

Due to the flooding, videos have allegedly surfaced, documented by Miccosukee Tribe member Betty Osceola, showing the Everglades with extensive flooding damage. Additional video can be found here.

“While the Central Everglades was too full, the Southern Everglades could have taken more water but for a constraint in place that prohibited more water being moved south, unless an emergency deviation took place,” Osceola said in a Facebook post. “Thankfully, with public pressure myself and other helped create, an emergency deviation was issued, and more water was allowed to flow southward into Everglades National Park in greater quantities.”

In a pair of questions to Booth, Mast asked if the Corps made a determination if lake operations were initiated under LOSOM.

If so, Mast pointed to the Corps’ objective of achieving lake stages below “12 feet for 90 non-consecutive days between mid-April and mid-September, or recede below 11.5 feet for 60 non-consecutive days between May and August.”

In his explanation, Mast questioned if the objective was “achievable,” or why the corps was operating under recovery operations.

“The bottom line is that since the Army Corps started discharging meaningful district freshwater into the saltwater St. Lucie Estuary, the lake has dropped from 16.39′ to 15.55′, algae blooms have appeared on the lake, and reports indicate that discharges are already a detrimental effect on aquatic life, including corals,” Mast said. “With the upcoming oyster spawn, the detrimental impacts will only continue to multiply.”

Urging for its immediate stoppage, Mast called the discharges “incredibly damaging,” referring to the Corps’ contradicting data of best available science and modeling.

“I urge you to immediately cease discharges to the St. Lucie Estuary,” Mast said. “Thank you for attention on this issue.”