The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in Stuart on Friday to host a water management briefing with U.S. Rep. Brian Mast.
The meeting will take place in the city commission chambers at Stuart City Hall located at 121 Southwest Flagler Ave.
At the briefing, representatives from the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District will discuss the management of water in South Florida with the congressman.
Mast's office said in a written statement that he plans to discuss a plan to alter the management of water during the dry season.
Supporters who want to keep Lake Okeechobee's water levels around 9 feet say it would mitigate the need for discharges during the rainy season.
"This issue absolutely needs to be addressed in the short term. This is an emergency situation of health and welfare,” Mast said.
The public is welcome to observe the briefing and listen to federal and state officials have a dialogue with Mast. The session began at 11:30 a.m. and is expected to last until 1 p.m.
"After our Army Corps team conducted several public meetings regarding specific ecosystem restoration projects over the past few weeks, I look forward to this week's visits with agency leaders and elected officials on both the east and west coasts," said Col. Jason Kirk, Jacksonville District commander.
At the Friday meeting, the Army Corps said Lake Okeechobee's current water level is 14.5 feet. It was at 13.8 feet before Hurricane Irma hit Florida last September.
NOW: People are starting to file in to Stuart City Hall for @JaxStrong presentation on Lake O water management. @wptv@FOX29WFLXpic.twitter.com/nQalbcQ73U
— Andrew Ruiz (@AndrewRuizWPTV) August 17, 2018