Continuing in his efforts to bring relief from the massive discharges of nutrient-laden water from Lake Okeechobee, Congressman Curt Clawson yesterday introduced his bipartisan legislation to expedite repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD).
Clawson’s legislation would set aside $800 million and require the Army Corps of Engineers to complete the urgent repairs needed to the Herbert Hoover Dike by December 31, 2020, a four to six year overall improvement by current estimates.
Once these repairs are completed, during future high rain events, more water could be held in Lake Okeechobee and prevent massive discharges of water to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers.
“With recent rainfalls in Florida reaching historic levels for this time of year, the Army Corps of Engineers began massive discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the east and west. These discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers pollute our waterways, destroy our fragile ecosystems, devastate our tourism economy, and pose an immediate public safety crisis ,” said Clawson.
The Herbert Hoover Dike is currently classified as almost certain to fail under normal operations within a few years without intervention.
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