LOSOM

The Chairman of the Lee County Board of Commissioners Kevin Ruane is sounding the alarm about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers new plan for Lake Okeechobee.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reevaluating its operation plan managing Lake Okeechobee water levels and water releases from the lake.Known as the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, the Corps is hoping to approve a new plan by August 4 that will determine when and how much water is discharged from Lake Okeechobee, and where that water will go.All of the proposals so far would raise the lake by at least a 1.5 feet, once the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes nearly $2 billion in much-needed repairs to the aging Herbert Hoover Dike. Yet keeping the Lake’s elevation at 17 feet or higher has some in Lee County concerned. Others want more time to properly evaluate the plans.