Another Loss from the Florida Hurricanes

Last year's hurricanes in Florida damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure, but that’s not all. Lake Okeechobee is suffering as well.

The storms churned up oozy, polluted muck that had settled on the big lake's bottom over decades, making it a soupy mess and crippling its ecosystem. The water is so muddy and so high from spring rains that sunlight cannot penetrate. Much of the lake's plant life has died, leaving its prized game fish without food or spawning grounds. Insects, birds and frogs are decreasing in number, too. Scientists are fretting, as are the tourism-related business owners that depend on the lake.

The $8 billion plan for restoring the Everglades would build water storage and treatment areas north of Lake Okeechobee, making it cleaner and easing its burden over several decades. Meanwhile, the turbid water could clear up over the summer but longer-term problems, like the dearth of aquatic plants, are likely to persist.

NY Times, June 5, 2005