The size of Lake Okeechobee is half of the size of Rhode Island. This guide features mile-by-mile navigation information, aerial photography with marked routes, marina listings and locator charts, anchorage information and expanded "Goin' Ashore" articles on ports along the way. They love shoreline waters the most during the spawn, especially where there is enough vegetation around for protection. Lake Okeechobee is a large, shallow lake located in the center of the Florida peninsula, about midway between Or-lando and Miami. The name Okeechobee comes from the Hitchiti words oki (water) and chubi (big). Conservation Leadership Initiative Alum Reflects on Future Career in Environmental Movement, Audubon Science to Help Inform Army Corps Efforts to Combine, Speed Restoration for Biscayne Bay and More, Fish Sampling Provides Critical Data for Florida Bay, Finding Creative Ways to Get the Job Done at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Audubon’s fact sheet “High Water Levels in Lake Okeechobee: The Threat of Disaster”, Audubon’s White Paper on the history of Lake Okeechobee’s ecosystem responses to water level management. Known at various times throughout history as Laguna del Espiritu Santo, Mayaimi, and Lake Mayaco, Lake Okeechobee—from two Seminole Indian words meaning "big water"—is located in the center of Florida. The Herbert Hoover Dike falls in the worst safety rating category from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering and is classified as “almost certain to fail under normal operations within a timeframe from immediately to within a few years without intervention.” Even after repairs are complete, it is unlikely that this safety rating will receive a “normal” rating. Subscribe to receive email updates about Audubon's conservation work and hear about opportunities to help birds in your area or nationwide. Blue gills, Okeechobee catfish and black crappies are other local catches. These (2) things combined are the #1 determining factors that boaters must consider when planning their passage through the waterway. Lake Okeechobee marshes can cover up to 150,000 acres, one-third of the lake. Legal Notices Privacy Policy. Recreation It’s the least you can do. The Controlling Depth (Navigational Depth) is the primary factor to consider for the transiting mariner; it governs the maximum recommended draft of vessels that can safely cross Lake Okeechobee. Donating monthly is flexible, easy and convenient and makes you a champion birds can count on, no matter the season. The Speckled Perch Festival is held annually in honor of the most famous fish of Lake Okeechobee. The main reason of water levels in lake Okeechobee rising is caused from the run off from rain in the Kissimmee valley. The Federal project depth for the Okeechobee Waterway is 8’ from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway near Stuart, FL via Okeechobee Lake Route 1 to Fort Myers, FL, then 10’ from Ft. Myers to Punta Rassa and then 12’ to the Gulf of Mexico. Our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. The recommended map study will show that there are over a dozen connecting canals, plus the Rim Canal which virtually encircles the lake. The original concept would have created a large basin covering 60,000 acres south of the lake, coupled with wetlands to filter water. The shallow waters support thousands of acres of scattered aquatic vegetation and the sheer size of the lake combines to offer a largemouth bass fishery that has few peers. N. Cornwall Ave. The state Legislature passed the Lake Okeechobee reservoir plan in 2017 to great fanfare. However, it possesses enough diversity that the knowledgeable angler can usually be successful. Some continue to place the blame of algae blooms on the shoulders of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by falsely claiming that holding more water in Lake Okeechobee could prevent or end our algae crisis. Were good as long as we stayed in the lake certainly not least, always check the weather before plan... 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