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Lake Okeechobee Recovering From Crisis  - Florida Wildlife Magazine

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Less Water for Okeechobee's Health

The relative health of Florida's Lake Okeechobee is improving. The lake--Florida's largest--is probably more healthy today than it has been in five or six years: The water is clear, grasses are growing, fish are flourishing and wading birds have returned. State Fisheries Biologist Steve Gornak says all indications are good (Steve Gornak, Fisheries Biologist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) ...

As scientists applaud a turnaround in the health of Lake Okeechobee, they say they've also demonstrated a lesson. If lake fills with too much water and gets too deep, it starts a chain reaction of poor health for Florida's biggest lake. Steve Gornak is a state fisheries biologist...

Scientists say lower water levels, coupled with Florida's most recent drought, have helped to bring life back to Lake Okeechobee. In addition to new vegetation, replenished fish population and returning wading birds, the lake's waters are also much clearer. And, says state fisheries biologist Steve Gornak, that's another indicator of the lake's health...

Scraping the Lake Bottom

Scientists took advantage of our most recent drought, to literally scrape the bottom of Lake Okeechobee. More than a half million yards of muck was removed, the result of lake vegetation killed by previously high water levels. Fisheries biologist Steve Gornak says there was some uncertainty about the effort...

Waiting for the Lake to Rise

As the rainy season begins in Florida, scientists at Lake Okeechobee are hoping water levels don't rise too much, too fast. They say the lake has only recently begun to return to health after a period of too-high water levels. State fisheries biologist Steve Gornak...