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U.S. Rep. Brian Mast pleased no water discharges prior to Dorian

Waiting to see if there are post storm releases
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Posted at 4:54 PM, Sep 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-06 06:47:18-04

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Some of the water Hurricane Dorian left behind will find its way into Lake Okeechobee.

Right now, Lake O sits at 13.89 feet, but could reach a point where discharges east into the St. Lucie Estuary are possible.

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U.S. Rep. Brian Mast said Wednesday efforts to keep the lake lower than normal heading into storm season are now paying off.

“The lake was at a low enough level that there did not have to be emergency discharges to protect all the communities south of the lake. And if they do that in advance of hurricane season, they’ve got that much more buffer to have water go into the lake before it gets to an emergency level," said Mast.

The congressman said its especially important to keep the lake water contained since he says there are some toxic algal blooms out on the lake right now.