What are three negative consequences that water releases from Lake Okeechobee can have on Florida waterways?
What are three negative consequences that water releases from Lake Okeechobee can have on Florida waterways? That “back-pumping” can carry with it fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants that can lead to fish kills, toxic algae blooms and threaten drinking water supplies.
How many people died at Lake Okeechobee?
However, it is estimated that the hurricane caused at least 2,500 deaths and possibly as many as 3,000 in areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee. Migrant farm workers accounted for around 75% of the fatalities, making identification of both the deceased and missing bodies very difficult.
What would happen if Lake Okeechobee Dam broke?
The lake, at 730 square miles and an average depth of only 10 feet, begins to flood the surrounding communities. Eventually, much of South Florida will be inundated. U.S. highways 441 and 98, and state roads 715 and 80 are destroyed by the slow-moving water.
What is the biggest problem that Lake Okeechobee causes in Florida?
About 2,500 acres of estuaries are polluted, accounting for 99% of the total assessed. A big driverof that is Lake Okeechobee, which covers about 450,000 square acres and has been polluted by decades of agricultural and stormwater runoff.
What is one negative consequence for building the dike around Lake Okeechobee?
If this soil erosion is allowed to continue, it will eventually create large cavities in the dike. And those large cavities — with water from the lake running through them unimpeded — create a serious risk that the dike will breach, with large releases of water from Lake Okeechobee flooding the surrounding lands.
What is causing pollution in Lake Okeechobee?
A big driverof that is Lake Okeechobee, which covers about 450,000 square acres and has been polluted by decades of agricultural and stormwater runoff.
What are the dangers of the high lake level in Okeechobee?
Many years of high water levels in the Lake made the Dike prone to “piping,” a leak that can lead to collapse. Erosion and Dike failure can also occur from water overtopping the Dike during major storm events. On a scale of Dam Safety Action Classification, the Dike is identified at Level 1 on a scale of 1-5.
What is the most serious problem of Lake Okeechobee?
Toxic algae fed by agricultural fertilizers spread across the wide, shallow lake, which is the largest in the Southeast United States. The algae poisons the air, and seasonal rains threaten to swell the lake and disperse the contaminated water toward popular beaches.