St. Lucie Lock/Okeechobee Waterway

The message below comes to us from Captain Ted Guy, our “man on the scene” in Stuart, Florida. Not only is Ted an active cruiser, but he is also a notable maritime attorney, and the past president of the Treasure Coast Marine Industry Association. In short, when Ted speaks, all of us around here listen. So should you!
Captain Ted’s message below refers to a currently-in-progress dumping of excess waters from Lake Okeechobee, into both the eastern and western portions of the locked Okeechobee Waterway. And, as you will see, this water is of very poor quality. Cruisers plying the Okeechboee Waterway through the remainder of 2013 (at least), need to be aware of this pollution problem, and minimize contact between their skin and the water!

What the USCG doesn’t monitor are the currents or the pollution. In the C-44 canal leading from the St. Lucie River up to the St. Lucie Lock & Dam, the current flowing downstream has been reported by GPS measurement as three to four knots. Pretty stiff for a five or six knot auxiliary.
I imagine there is probably a similar downstream current or even worse just West of Moore Haven lock & dam in the Caloosahatchee C-43 Canal flowing toward Ft. Myers.
These currents are due to the Corps of Engineers dumping the excess Lake Okeechobee water down the C-44 and C-43 canals because the federally tax payer subsidized sugar farmers to the South of lake Okeechobee won’t accept it . We pay taxes also to clean up their mess and our own estuaries. The C-44 discharge at the St. Lucie Lock & Dam is about 5,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) according to the USACE (Corps of Engineers). I think that translates to about 1.4 Billion gallons per day.
The water is turbid, almost black, at least dark brown, and full of toxic algae and some debris. The dark plumes in the Atlantic off Stuart and in the Gulf off Ft. Myers extend out miles. Salinity and dissolved oxygen in the St. Lucie Estuary are near zero. The situation is dire.
The Health Department has 40 signs up in Martin County at boat ramps, bridges and sand bars warning people not to swim or fish in the river; not to come in contact with the water. Visits to the emergency room by people who swam or fished in the water are reported.
Our St. Lucie River oyster beds are 99% dead according to the Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS). Sea grass beds in the lower St. Lucie and the Indian River Lagoon have been destroyed. Inshore fishing is dead. The fish and manatees have gone elsewhere to survive. Fishing guides, paddle board and kayak liveries and bait and tackle shops are closing down. The recovery has taken as long as ten years in past dumps of the Lake. We no longer expect ten years without dumps. Recently we’ve had them in 1995, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2013. I may have missed some years.
In Martin County, we have had as many as 5,000 people attend anti-dumping rallies to protest, according to The Stuart News, which has been giving this situation excellent daily coverage, along with our three local (Palm Beach County) TV stations, channels 5, 12 and 25.
Several news sources including the USACE announced Thursday that the discharges may go on to or past the end of 2013. I liken it to `flushing the toilet’.
W.E. “Ted” Guy, Jr.

[The child which is the subject of the story linked below] is from La Belle, along the waterway crossing of Lake Okeechobee.
I recommend nobody dive their boat’s hulls crossing the area. Wait until you are in saltwater.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/16/florida-boy-brain-eatin g-amoeba/2664489/
Rich Gano
Calypso

Hi Claiborne!
I have attached a picture from the North fork of the St. Lucie River. You might find it interesting. Feel free to use it.
Sterling

My boat is stored just east of where the writer is discussing, and while I suppose the pollutions isn’t making its way east, this makes me want to rush back south a few weeks ahead of schedule and get the heck out of Dodge. Certainly is giving me second thoughts I may have had about exploring the western section of the Okeechobee Waterway. Kudos to the Cruisers’ Net and the Florida writer for keeping us abreast of this deplorable situation. Shame on the sugar industry!
Tony Tharp

Gotta love it when they come aboard to check your holding tank at 2 AM, don’t cha?
This shows once more that we live in a Plutocracy. The financial industry is another example. One law for us and no laws for them.
Fuzzyfeat

A couple of points concerning the `dumping of water’ via the east and west rivers to both coast. People need to realize that if the water is not released that the Hoover Dike could be compromised and endanger the lives of thousands if a hurricane strikes the area. There are `fixes’ in the works but like many government projects, they depend on funding from federal and state sources. And lets not forget that the water comes from many sources north of the lake ie: The Kissimmee River Basin and brings many pollutants with it.
And yes, a young boy is still fighting for his life (as of 8/20/13) but it has nothing to do with pollution and the sugar companies. This amoeba is found in many bodies of fresh water in south Florida in the summer months. Lets all pray for his survival.
Tom Nowling