HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-319
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RESOLUTION NO. 08-319
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, REQUESTING THE U. S. ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO IMMEDIATELY END THE CURRENT
PULSE DISCHARGES FROM LAKE OKEECHOBEE TO THE ST.
LUCIE ESTUARY THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING CONTINUALLY
SINCE SEPTEMBER 4, 2008
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County,
Florida, has made the following determinations:
1. The St. Lucie River and Caloosahatchee River Estuaries continue
to be degraded by excessive freshwater discharges and nutrients carried and
redirected by drainage canals constructed by the Central and Southern Flood
Control project.
2. Ag~ncy representatives and environmental stakeholders from Lake
Okeechob~~, the St. Lucie River and the Caloosahatchee River Estuaries are
all in consensus that the existing Lake Okeechobee discharge ev~nt should
cease immediately.
3. Since September 4, 2008, the USACOE has released water from C-
23, C-24 and Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie River Estuary because of
Tropical Storm Fay and caused freshwater conditions to prevail for forty-
two (42) days.
4. Oyster reefs, which support over 300 species of animals, are
severely impacted as adult oysters can only tolerate twenty-eight (28) days
of completely fresh water before they die.
5. These releases of fresh water are causing significant negative
impacts to the St. Lucie Estuary and are not necessary since Lake
Okeechobee is at an elevation below fifteen (15.0) feet NGVD and falling
for the past week with water inflowing at a rate lower than outflow, not
counting evaporation loss.
6. The current interim Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule was
specifically developed to allow more responsive flexibility in operation
to reduce negative impacts to the natural resources of South Florida
including the Coastal Estuaries.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners
of St. Lucie County, Florida:
1. This Board requests the immediate end to the current Lake
Okeechobee discharges into the St. Lucie Estuary until such time as the
health, safety, and welfare; or,
water level within Lake Okeechobee is determined to pose a threat to
2. For at least two (2) consecutive weeks to allow the St. Lucie
Estuary to minimally recover from the current discharge events and that the
releases cease until a reevaluation of the need to lower the Lake elevation
Okeechobee and the coastal estuaries.
is determined with input from the affected area representatives of Lake
3. The County Administrator is hereby directed to forward copies
of this resolution to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Governor Charlie
Crist, St. Lucie County's State and Federal Legislative Delegations, and
the Ten County Coali tion for the Responsible Management of Lake Okeechobee.
After motion and second the vote on this resolution was as follows:
Chairman Joseph E. Smith AYE
Vice-Chairman Paula A. Lewis AYE
Commissioner Doug Coward AYE
Commissioner Charles Grande AYE
Commissioner Chris Craft AYE
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 14th day of October, 2008.
ATTEST:
COMMISSIONERS
RIDA
LEGAL FORM AND