In an effort to continue to improve water clarity in Lake Panasoffkee, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is temporarily lowering the lake level by operating the Wysong-Coogler Water Conservation Structure.
The District is in the process of dredging approximately 8.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake to improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation.
However, the process of dredging the sediment is also removing beneficial submerged vegetation. The state permit for the dredging requires vegetation to cover a percentage of the lake bottom. Submerged aquatic vegetation helps maintain good water quality.
The District expects the desirable vegetation to return if it receives sufficient sunlight. Eelgrass needs about 9 percent of the sunlight that hits the surface to filter to the bottom. The dredged areas are deeper, reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the eelgrass. Lowering the lake levels will increase the light reaching the vegetation.
Over the last year the water level in Lake Panasoffkee has been maintained at almost 40 feet above sea level. During the past month the District has lowered the level of the lake by one foot, to 39 feet. This is not enough to reach the necessary 9 percent light level so District staff is lowering the lake two-tenths of a foot at a time to determine what level will sustain the desirable light level.
Lake Panasoffkee will not be lowered below 38 feet, because that is the level needed to continue the dredging process. Once the vegetation returns, the lake levels may rise. Dredging is expected to continue through January 2008, however, all time frames are approximate and may change based on conditions beyond the District’s control.
Lake Panasoffkee is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and is one of the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) priority water bodies.