Cultural changes and Lake Okeechobee

Eutrophication: a process where water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive
plant growth
Quick facts

Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the Southeastern U.S (facts..)

It is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the U.S (facts..)
It is over 730 square miles (facts..)
Can hold up to 1.05 trillion gallons of water (facts..)
In 1930, it was 19 feet deep (facts..)
o Since 1992, the average depth has been 9 feet (facts..)
Due to evaporation, the lake can lose up to one inch of water a day (facts..)
Sources of inflow:
o 39% rainfall, 31% Kisimmee, 30% Harney Pond, Indian Prairie Fisheating Creek,
Taylor Creek/Nubbin Slough (facts..)
Outflows:
o 66% evaporation, 12% Caloosahatchee River, 4% St Lucie Canals, 18% drains
south to Everglades (facts..)
The original lake which was formed about 600 years ago was saline, but rainfall made it
freshwater (facts..)
Numerous canals have been dug to redirect water from the Kissimmee Rover and drain to
create more land for agricultural use and housing (facts..)
The hydrology of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades drainage system has been
significantly modified with diking and dredging (facts..)
o To create farmland, control flooding, provide navigation, and create a water
supply (facts..)
Provides drinking water for urban areas, irrigation water for agricultural lands, recharge
for aquifers, freshwater for the Everglades, habitat for fish and birds, flood control,
navigation, and recreational use (facts..)

http://www.a-guide-to-florida-bass-fishing.com/lake-okeechobee.html

Since the 1900s, Okeechobee has experienced

alterations of its hydrology and morphology, and
recently there has been an accelerated

eutrophication due to population growth and agricultural and urban development (Havens).

Phosphorus concentrations have doubled (Havens)

Nitrogen: phosphorus ratios have declined by 50% (Havens)
Lake sediments have accumulated massive amounts of phosphorus (Havens)

Due to the shallow waters and warm year round temperatures, the lake is greatly affected by
wind (Havens)
Economic significance of Okeechobee
The lake supports recreational and commercial fishing that is valued at over $100 million
(Havens)
South Florida is rapidly growing in population as the population is more than 4 million (Havens)
In the 1920s, the lake had problems with flooding This led to the Army Corps of Engineers to
construct a system of dikes, gates, pumps, and canals (Havens).

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional/lake-o-flushing-draws-anger-over-estuary-destructi/nZJCC/

In the 1970s the lake saw a levels of phosphorus and nitrogen double (Havens)

In 1979, routine pumping of nitrogen-rich into the lake from the Everglades Agricultural
Area for flood control purposes was drastically reduced (Havens).
In the 1980s, massive algal blooms and a declined water quality spurred intense public
pressure to improve the lakes condition (Havens)
Also in the 1980s, through the Rural Clean Waters Program, a series of phosphorus
controls were implemented (Havens).
As a result of these practices, phosphorus runoffs from agricultural sites around the
lake has drastically decreased

North of the lake, and hydrologically upstream, cattle and dairy farms import over 5900 tons
into the watershed as feed and fertilizer (Havens).

Lake sediments now contain over 30,000 tons of phosphorus (Havens)

High levels of phosphorus creates algal blooms that can be detrimental to the lakes health for
many reasons
1. Cyanobacteria forms surface blooms (Havens)
a. These blooms have caused large-scale macroinvertebrate dieoffs (Havens)
b. If these continue to die off, the entire lakes ecosystem and food chain will be
effected
2. Can produced endotoxins that puts the ecosystem, animals, and the 30,000 humans who
use the lake for water at risk
Continued and future efforts to reduce nutrient inputs from external sources are critical to ensure
the health of the lake. A carefully thought out research and management program is necessary
to avoid ill-timed management responses driven by public pressure, and not by a sound
limnological foundation (Havens).
Lake Okeechobee pollutes surrounding water
Due to summer rains, water levels in Lake Okeechobee drastically rise. In 2013, this prompted
the Army Corps of Engineers to release billions of gallons of polluted water surrounding areas.
The deluge of water carried contaminates from area farms and septic tanks, and skewed the
salinity at waterways like the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon (McCorquodale).
Effects

46 dolphins, 111 manatees, and 300 pelicans died due to this (McCorquodale)
47,000 acres of sea grass beds were also killed (McCorquodale)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/lake-okeechobee-pollution_n_4031154.html

Works Cited
"Facts about Okeechobee." Facts about Okeechobee. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
<http://lakeokeechobee.tripod.com/okeechobee/id1.html>.

Havens, Karl E. "Rapid Ecological Changes in a Large Subtropical Lake Undergoing Cultural
Eutrophication." Ambio 25.3 (1996): 150-55. JSTOR. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/4314445?ref=no-xroute:67e8ff0648d2a7b62a77261fe46822ea>.

McCorquodale, Amanda. "Devastating Photos Of Florida Pollution Will Fill You With
Rage. "The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 Oct. 2013. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/lake-okeechobeepollution_n_4031154.html>.