Published by TCPalm, May 6, 2020
By Cheryl Smith
There’s a new battle brewing in the ongoing fight over Lake Okeechobee’s water level.
Everglades area farmers, burgeoning South Florida communities and the Miccosukee tribe are among those who want to keep the lake high in the dry season, essentially creating a reservoir to meet their ever-increasing water demands.
Environmentalists want to keep the lake low in winter so there’s more room for summer rains and less chance of having excess water — polluted and potentially toxic to people, pets and wildlife — discharged to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.
Congress will decide who wins the latest round when it considers the 2020 water bill.