LAKE OKEECHOBEE

Both negative and positive affects this lake can have on it’s surroundings.

Lake Okeechobee is a large lake located in the middle of Florida. It is the largest fresh water lake in Florida and also the ninth largest in the United States. This body of water serves as a home for various fish and mammals. This lake is used for regional groundwater control, agricultural irrigation, recreation, and so much more. Although this lake positively affects our environment, it also comes with many negative attributions. These may include, heavy flooding, infectious algae blooms, and harmful mud.

FLOODING

Flooding caused by heavy rains, is one of the most common negative impacts of this lake. Not only does the flooding harm or completely destroy wildlife and their habitat, it also greatly affects individuals who live near the body of water. When water levels rise too high in the lake, the excess water flows into nearby rivers such as the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers and estuaries. When the water rises too high, the salinity levels are disrupted. Unfortunately, these salinity swings cause for the sea grass to die. This upsets the food chain and causes a great decrease in the amount of juvenile fish and manatees because the sea grass is there main source of nutrition. As shown above, the picture to the left represents how the water naturally flowed. The picture to the left shows how the water today flows with human impact. In the end, flooding of the Okeechobee river damaged the fishing industry, tourism, real estate, and animal habitats.

INFECTIOUS ALGAE BLOOMS

When algae blooms caused by millions harmful phytoplankton releases toxins into the lake. This destructive algae is consumed by fish which ultimately kills them. In addition, it can also affect the human body in ways such as skin irritation, respiratory distress, and high levels of exposure can even cause liver disease. Also, this dense algae blossom causes a loss in plant life because light cannot sweep through the thick bloom. In addition, this algae bloom can be caused by a release of harmful chemicals such as fertilizers into the water. As a result, we should create awareness and encourage individuals to be mindful of the things they are release into the lake. Another way to keep the lake water clean is by constructing a system that captures and cleans the runoff water from the overflowing lake. This would prevent any further damage to neighboring bodies of water.

HARMFUL MUD

Finally, the mud on the floor of Okeechobee was a big concern to environmentalist. As the mud contained high amounts of arsenic and other pesticides this was almost four times the limit that is placed for residential land. They did this in effort to return the floor of the lake back to its sandy origins. In order to achieve this in 2007 during a drought they removed thousands of truck loads worth of the mud from the lakes floor. However, once they got rid of the mud from the lakes floor, it was hard for them to dispose of it because it was so toxic and could affect commercial and agricultural land. Later the next year, since the lake was so dry, portions of the exposed floor got set on fire and cleared of its algae. Overall, the mud is hard to get rid of because it causes massive amounts of damage to the ocean and even the land near the lake.

CONCLUSION

Although the lake has shown various negative impacts, it is still a cherished land mark. It is our job as citizens to preserve this natural resource and to keep the water clean. Flooding from the lake into the river can be fixed by created small canals into the everglades that the water can run into. Harmful algae blooms can be reduced by encouraging our citizens to be mindful of the things that they are releasing into the water. Lastly, developing a way to safely remove the mud from the lake’s floor would create not only more clear waters but a safer living environment for the sea life. In the end, we should all be aware of the affects, both negative and positive, that Lake Okeechobee has on our environment.

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