Researchers and environmentalists have picked up a major ally in their calls for water storage south of Lake Okeechobee. Incoming Senate President Joe Negron is vowing to make it a priority when the Legislature returns for session.
Water storage north and south of the lake has been part of the state’s water restoration checklist for years. Reservoirs north of Lake Okeechobee have been built, but some business and agricultural interests have resisted projects to the south. Now Stuart Republican Joe Negron is joining the chorus calling for new storage to handle water coming out of the lake.
“Everyone who’s looked at this issue long-term agrees that we have to have storage south of the lake as a piece of the puzzle and as a way to prevent these discharges,” Negron says.
Negron is recommending a federal partnership to split the cost of a 60,000 acre facility. He expects the total price tag will be $2.4 billion.
