Deep cracks cover the bottom of what should be five-feet deep Lake Okeechobe near Okeechobee, Fla. in this May 1, 2007 file photo. State water and wildlife managers are taking advantage of unprecedented drought conditions by removing life-choking muck along Lake Okeechobee's shoreline. The 500,000 cubic yards of rotted, dead plant life and sediment will be trucked from the southwest portion of the lake starting Thursday, May 23, 2007, to pastures for disposal. Its removal over several months will return the lake's bottom along its shoreline in that area to a more natural sandy base and create clearer water and better habitat for plants and wildlife.
Lake Okeechobee reached a record low Wednesday, and experts said little relief is in sight for Florida's drought.
It's confirmed: Florida's deepening drought has dehydrated Lake Okeechobee to a record low.
The lake officially stood at 8.97 feet above sea level early Wednesday, matching its lowest level since record-keeping began in 1931. Then, it didn't rain again, and the sun evaporated water from the lake again.
''We know we're sitting at a new record low,'' Randy Smith, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, said Wednesday evening, ``but how much of a record low, we won't know until the morning.''
The most severe water restrictions in South Florida history already are in effect and are expected to continue well into the summer rainy season.
Those lawn-crunching, plant-shriveling measures reduced water use by 25 to 30 percent, Smith said, but nature provided precious little assistance.
An average of just seven inches of rain has fallen across the region during the last five months, according to district gauges, well below normal.
''There's nothing coming back in,'' Smith said. ``There's just no recharge whatsoever.''
Lake Okeechobee serves as the primary backup water supply for millions of South Floridians. But when the lake drops below a certain level, its waters cannot be used to replenish the regional supply....
Under the Jeb Bush administration there was a measure issued to determine how to utilize surface ground water and shallow water sources because it was reported by Florida scientists that the human water supply for Florida would be extremely insuffienct by the year 2010. There was one glitch however in the Jeb Bush plan and that was the contamination by Blue Green Algae of most of Florida's shallow water supply. The components of Blue Green Algae are known to be some of the most toxic to humans of any algae species. The 'BUSHES' need to get off their tuffs and stop the carbon dioxide emissions from the USA, otherwise, the international community should consider sanctions against the USA to force compliance ! If Jeb Bush ignored the threat to the people of Florida he 'ruled' over for many years, it can be easily concluded there will be extreme measures of manipulation by the Bush/Cheney White House to evade any responsibly or action. The Supreme Court ruled in this nation. Bush and Cheney are ignoring that decision. Every international environmental meeting since that ruling has never reflected the Supreme Court's decision. The Oval Office is out of control and evidently out of the reach of the American electorate. The international community has to act against the USA.
