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Section 4 Identification of Problems and Opportunities

EAA Storage Reservoirs Revised Draft PIR and EIS February 2006

4-5

4.1.3.2 Lake Okeechobee

Ecosystem damage in the Lake Okeechobee littoral zone includes the loss of

beneficial plant life as well as continued growth and colonization by melaleuca,

torpedo grass, and other exotic plants. Prolonged high water levels stress native

vegetation. This stressed native community provides an opportunity for exotic

species to invade areas previously occupied by native species. These exotics are

able to aggressively and successfully compete with native species.

4.1.3.3 Northern Estuaries

Releases from Lake Okeechobee to the C-44 and C-43 canals inject large

amounts of freshwater and pollutants into the St. Lucie River and Estuary,

southern Indian River Lagoon, and the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary.

Seagrass beds in these estuaries are stressed, reduced, and eliminated by

salinity fluctuations, turbidity, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, and algal

blooms. Oysters have also largely been eliminated from the estuaries because of

the freshwater pulses and lack of substrate. Submerged aquatic vegetation and

oyster reefs are important habitats for fish and other organisms.

4.1.3.4 Opportunities

The EAA Storage Reservoir project, if properly designed, is an opportunity to

improve water deliveries to the WCAs (via the existing STAs) and incrementally

improve the ecological communities in the WCAs, Everglades National Park,

Lake Okeechobee, and the two estuaries. This is accomplished by storing

regulatory releases from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries, eliminating

backpumping of water from the EAA to the lake, providing an additional

increment of storage volume to allow lowering of Lake Okeechobee water levels,

and providing an additional source of water to meet environmental targets in the

WCAs and Everglades National Park.

During the wet season, storage within the EAA will help reduce ecologically

damaging discharges to the estuaries and high water conditions in the WCAs, as

well as reducing backpumping of agricultural runoff into Lake Okeechobee.

Regional above-ground storage within the EAA could capture and store EAA

runoff or excess water from Lake Okeechobee during the wet season.

During the dry season, reservoir releases could be made to the primary canals

for municipal, Tribal, and agricultural irrigation and for restoration of the

downstream Everglades ecosystem. Lake Okeechobee would then no longer be

the only supplemental source for meeting EAA irrigation demands. During the

periods when supplemental irrigation requirements could not be met by the EAA

storage reservoirs, water supply releases from Lake Okeechobee could still be

provided.

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Wenger 72944 Spezifikationen Seite 147