Florida Congressman Gives A Heads-Up About Potential Lake O Discharges

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Last year at this time, Lake Okeechobee was the most toxic that it had ever been measured.

Florida Congressman Brian Mast says things aren't quite that bad right now.

"We are at a better place this year than I'd say we were last year at this time. But as we know, one storm, two storms coming across our state can change that situation very very rapidly."

Standing outside his Port St. Lucie office on Tuesday, the Republican representative said that about 40 percent of the freshwater lake is covered in blue-green algae, which is toxic. If discharges are conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that algae will move into waterways to the east or west of the lake.

Mast says he continues to work in Congress on his latest bill to bring the discharges to an end.

Lake Okeechobee's level is about 12 and a half feet right now.

Mast says that's not bad as we head into Hurricane Season, but he'd prefer it was lower.


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