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Amid another algae bloom, feds speed up work on Herbert Hoover Dike.

By Christopher Heath, WFTV.com

FILE - This Aug. 2015, file handout NASA satellite photo shows a large bloom of phytoplankton off the New York, top, and New Jersey, left, coast. Researchers and officials across the country say increasingly frequent toxic algae blooms are another bi-product of global warming. They point to looming questions about their effects on human health. (NASA via AP, File)

By Christopher Heath, WFTV.com

The Herbert Hoover Dike is a 143-mile earthen dam on Lake Okeechobee, holding back trillions of gallons of water.

For years, the dike has been a political flashpoint amid concern over breaches to debates over releases to fights over who would pay to fix the dam, and when.

On Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers announced it is setting aside $514 million in federal money for Herbert Hoover Dike repairs, to be completed by 2022.

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"The rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike has been ongoing for more than a decade, and significant funding setbacks have meant that it wasn't expected to be finished for yet another decade from now," said Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL 18). "For the first time ever, we can say that this project is now fully funded at a level where it can be completed in four years instead of another 10."
For decades, Lake Okeechobee has been the source of frayed nerves when it comes to the dam and the water that flows out of it and into the St. Lucie Estuary and the Caloosahatchee River.
Those discharges of fresh water can alter the brackish water, causing green algae in places along the Treasure Coast and harming seagrass and marine life.


"Today's announcement is the product of many months of work following Hurricane Irma to deliver critical disaster relief for Floridians," said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) in a news release. "I'm proud that these projects, including full funding for expedited completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike."
In a tweet, Florida Senator Bill Nelson echoed Senator Rubio's sentiment, calling the new timeline "huge news," saying it will help protect homes and the environment.

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The State of Florida has also contributed to the project, with Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature setting aside a total of $100 million for the project, with Scott saying at the time, "continuing to make real progress in repairing the dike is critical not just for the safety of South Florida residents, but also for the health of the greater Everglades system and Florida's coastal estuaries."
The hope is that shoring up the dike and continued projects north will reduce the number and volume of discharges.

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