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Army Corps Will Continue Inspections Through Government Shutdown

Ashley Lopez
/
WGCU

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ officials said inspections of the Lake Okeechobee dyke, as well as other dykes around the state, will continue as usual through the federal government shutdown.

There isn’t an end in sight yet to heavy rains in Florida and Army Corps officials expect more water releases from Lake Okeechobee throughout the next couple of weeks.

The releases have been frustrating residents east and west of the lake because they degrade water quality. However, Corps officials said relieving pressure on the aging Herbert Hoover dyke is a public safety issue.

Lt. Col. Thomas Greco said lake and dyke inspections are crucial and will continue throughout the federal government’s shutdown.

“Those public safety functions will continue to be carried out throughout the shutdown,” Greco said. “And right now we have generally not a large number of people on furlough because we are currently operating with some carryover funding from this past fiscal year.”

Greco said that funding will only last a couple of days. However, inspections and public safety operations will continue even if they run out of money.

Ashley Lopez is a reporter forWGCUNews. A native of Miami, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a journalism degree.