The Pollution of Lake Okeechobee - Case Study Example

The pollution of Lake Okeechobee Introduction and Background Lake Okeechobee is the largest fresh water lake in Florida, and the seventh largest in the USA. It is a shallow lake, with a depth as small as 9 feet, although this can get to 15 feet on rainy days or during the wet season. This lake has been a source of fresh water for people, animals, and vegetation for many centuries, and is used to grow crops on farms south of Florida. Traditionally, Lake Okeechobee was a hazard to the people living on its shores. It was common for the lake to break its banks and flood to the nearby farms and town. These floods were at times fatal, creating a significant need to control its waters. The floods were caused by rains and excessive drainage of the Everglades ecosystem. These waves led to the massive destruction of farms, crops, homesteads and lives of both people and animals (Brezonik, 1975). They also collected the fertilizers and other chemicals used in farms, polluting the lake as they subsided. The lake also brought pollutants in it to the farms, corrupting the soil in these fields and thus destroying the farms adjacent to it. The results of these floods were poor harvests and weak crops due to the excessive supply of water and chemical components. There were complaints from the residents of South Florid for over 150 years. The seasonal floods were becoming unbearable, considering the increasing population and the need to develop urban centers. The high demand for food could not allow the farmers to risk their crop during wet seasons, and they thus sought for professional help from the federal government. The government took the initiative of launching flood control projects. These projects included the construction of dikes to containing the spilling water of the lake. The dikes were constructed and maintained by US Army Corps of Engineers. This team was given the mandate of controlling flooding and drainage of the lake. Channelization was one of their key processes and involved the creation of outlets from the lake. The outlets ensured the lake drained accordingly to avoid accumulation of water. The outlets constructed were directed to some rivers such as the St. Lucie. However, a lot of pollution has affected the lake in many ways. Some of this pollution was sanctioned by the government and led to diverse effects on the lake and its constituents. The water from the lake is brown in color, with traces of green algae that grows because of the pollutants that fill the lake. Draining this lake water into the Indian River Lagoon, and the Everglades has consequences that affect everyone relying on this water for whichever activity. The farms around the lake get affected by severe weather and usually suffer from pollutants. Polluting the lake involves dissolving chemicals in it. These chemicals can be from varied sources. They infect the water, affecting this habitat in terms of nutrients and its ability to support life. The same water spreads to the farms and towns with the onset of the rainy season. The pollutants in this water destroy crops, thus the need to take drastic measures against pollution of the lake water. The need to conserve this water comes from intensive pollution from the farms and companies directing their wastes to it. Statement of Problems There are many issues associated with the pollution of Lake Okeechobee. This lake is the primary source of fresh water in South Florida, and any damage to it means that the area will be short of fresh water, especially the farms around the lake. The Everglades ecosystem continues to feed this lake with water throughout the year. Channels have also been dug to this lake. These channels are used by companies to drain waste chemicals into the lakes. These channels also direct earthen material to the lake, creating mud in it, and eventually causing the flooding of this region. There are several sources of pollution for this lake. One of them is fertilizers from farms. Nearby farms grow crops such as vegetables and sugarcane. These plants require a lot of fertilizer for their growth (Brezonik, 1975). Traditionally, most farms had canals connected to the lake for the sake of draining their farm waste, and for flooding the field whenever there was a need to do it. The fertilizers are also washed down to the lake by rainwater during the wet season. These fertilizers are chemicals that re harmful to aquatic life. Their effects on the creatures living in the water can be devastating. Some even kill fish due to poisoning. Their chemical composition is harmful to the health of sea creatures. The fertilizers also lead to the growth of water weeds and algae. Some of these algae are consumed by fish and other sea creatures, and can end up killing them. These algae and weed also deteriorate the beauty of lake water and its environs (Brezonik, 1975). The fertilizers make them grow extensively, covering vast areas of land and the surface of the lake. Another contaminant of the lake comes from cattle farming. The rearing of animals involves feeding them with advanced manufactured foods, cleaning them of ticks and taking them to the lake for a drink. Manufactured animal foods contain chemicals, and draining the waste chemicals to the lake causes its pollution. This deposition of waste can be through the excretion of animals in the lake as they take water. The nutrients found in this waste foster the fast growth of weeds and algae. They also make the lake and the areas around them look untidy. Being the biggest fresh water lake in Florida, this lake is a tourist attraction. The number of tourists visiting it has, however, been on a constant decreasing rate. The lake is losing its beauty to the pollution affecting it. The reduction in the number of tourists has a direct impact on the revenue earned by Florida from foreign exchange. Cleaning of cattle with chemicals creates another source of pollution. Livestock is usually attacked by ticks, in addition to other pests. The chemicals involved in the rearing of cattle are generally soluble in water. They are thus easily carried off to the lake, dissolving in it and polluting it. The fact that the lake is surrounded by agricultural activities exposes it to pollution. This contamination occurs due to the lack of strict laws governing the draining of wastes to the lake. The lake was previously used as a form of a bin for agricultural and industrial waste. The amount of waste accumulated in it has increased over time. These pollutants are also added to it during floods. When the lake bursts through its shores, it sweeps over the farms, taking up fertilizers and other farm chemicals when it subsides. The government has been maintaining this lake through the US Army Corps of Engineers to curb pollution and reduce the effects of flooding. This service is made possible through the construction of channels and outlets. Some of these outlets include the St. Lucie River. This river is one of the few through which the lake discharges its water. The releases are necessary, especially in the rainy season. They are ways of controlling the amount of water that is present in the lake, and their levels. Without these discharges, the flooding of the Everglades would be a common phenomenon, just like it was in the past. The fact that the lake drains into St. Lucie River mean that this river gets polluted by the same pollutants found in Lake Okeechobee. They are, however, a little bit diluted, although the quantity is high due to the downstream flow of water. This river then drains into the Indian River Lagoon. This geographical feature is another tourist attraction. The St. Lucie River adds pollutants to it from the lake and farms around it. These pollutants are harmful to aquatic life. The harm caused by the pollution of St. Lucie River was seen through the death of fish in it. This river had been contaminated by water from Lake Okeechobee, the effect of which was the addition of harmful chemicals into the water. The biggest setback in modern farming practices is the use of synthetic chemicals in the manufacture of fertilizers. These nutrients are major sources of important chemical compounds that favor the growth of a crop and increase its yield. The dead fish in the river indicated that there was an increase in the amount of toxins, beyond a level that could support them in their natural habitat. The water was poisoned by pollutants (Brezonik, 1975). Approaches It is possible to control the amount of pollution that takes place in South Florida, and that is related to Lake Okeechobee and its discharge. One of the best ways to do this is by implementing proper drainage and waste management policies. Recently, a court ruled against the dumping of industrial waste into the lake. The said factories were prohibited by law from polluting the water that they require so much in their production activities. By law, these facilities are required to treat their waste before releasing it into any drainage system. They should ensure that it is free from toxins that would interfere with the normal components of water, and that would cause direct or indirect harm to aquatic life. Traditionally, factories used to channel water from the lake to their plants. From there, they would use it in their operations, after which they would drain it back to the lake. With the increase in factories, the amount of waste per volume of the lake was seen to rise rapidly, causing deteriorating effects on the lake (Brezonik, 1975). Eventually, there was too much waste to allow any addition. The federal government had to step in and take measures. Saving St. Lucie River from toxins requires that it receives relatively clean water from the lake. There is a need to ensure that it is free from all the pollutants it got from the farms surrounding the lake. These pollutants can be eliminated by special cleaning methods such as individual chemicals that filter out toxins. Traditional gabions can also be used to filter out the silt that might be present in the water. Another approach to reducing the effects of pollution is by the use of canals linking the lake to the rivers that take in its discharge. This method can also be used to drain the lake water to a distant large water body. The same is applied in farms that use lake water to irrigate their crops. The canals should be of a certain long length that will allow the flowing water to lose some of its toxins along the way. These canals can be dug out to create a different drainage system heading to St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon (Brezonik, 1975). These canals are an alternative route for the water leading into these drainage systems. The best way to work around this issue is by ensuring the channels do not cut across agricultural land. Proximity to farms means that they will be polluted along their length, adding to the pollution levels of the rivers instead of reducing them. Despite the fact that water is treated as it exits the lake, it should be checked as it enters both the St Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. The treatment of this water might not be enough to clean it of all toxins, and a repeat of the same procedure would reduce the pollutants further (Brezonik, 1975). A water purification center set up at the entrance of the lagoon can serve the purpose of ensuring that the final product is clean. This additional treatment is also essential to reduce the chances that water might be contaminated along its path to the final stage of drainage. As the water flows through the channels or rivers, there might be chemicals added to it through fertilize of farms along this path. Other people also drain their sewerage into rivers as they pass. These combined toxins can be a source of death and distraction to fish and other animals and plants that have their homes in river water. Waste from farms and homesteads is collected in a systematic manner to avoid this. This collection can be done through specialized garbage collectors who have a designated location to dump the collected waste. Homesteads also have good drainage and sewerage systems. This formality is different from the traditional practice of directing all household waste to nearby rivers. Research has shown that sewerage can be treated to a point that every bit of it is usable. This treatment is done in a natural format, using bacteria to feed on all organic waste. However, the process is slow and might take a lot of personnel to achieve completion (Brezonik, 1975). The discharge from the lake can also be shifted to the Everglades. These are fertile regions that act as sources of rivers and streams. The Everglades are the original producers of clean water around Lake Okeechobee. This water is clean and healthy before any toxins are added to it. The directing of the discharge to this area ensures that existing lake water mixes with more fresh water, reducing its pollutant levels through dilution and rock filtration. Rock filtration is a process through which water gets cleaned up by sipping through rocks. It explains the reason springs have amazingly clean water that is believed to be rich in nutrients. This water derives its nutrients from rocks. It gets them by dissolving them as it seeps through these underground rocks. Conclusions Similar studies have been carried out to determine the levels of pollution in this famous lake and its environs. The studies involve measuring the toxicity of the lake water, accompanied by getting the levels of toxins in outgoing rivers relative to the lake. This study aims at identifying methods through which pollution of the drainage system can b reduced in South Florida. It examines the possibilities of having a pollution-free environment with clean water. The impact of this reduction in pollution to the surrounding community was found to be increased health and reduced rates of illnesses such as those caused by malnutrition. It also resulted in an increased crop yield, comparing the statistics to data collected with regards to an extremely polluted lake. Another conclusion can be drawn from the effects of treatment of water as it leaves the lake. Treated water results to an equivalently clean river outlet, in this case, the St. Lucie River. A fresh outlet is healthy for both its fish and the people that depend on this water. It was realized that several people depended on the speed and power of the flowing river water to get it to their farms. All they do is connect a good piping system to the river and are ready to go. The cleaning of water, as it gets into the Indian River Lagoon, shows that there is a great need for preserving our environment. It creates an understanding of the adverse effects that accompany poor environmental maintenance. The users of river water benefit from clean and environmentally friendly sources of water that can be used as a cooler in factories and also as a raw material by cleaning the water inlets. Recommendations More research needs to be done on the best ways to reduce the global pandemic of pollution, especially that of water. Pollution is a deadly behavior that can be avoided. The failure to control environmental pollution will lead to an ugly surrounding that cannot support animal and plant life sufficiently. This destruction would in turn result in overdependence on fertilizers, increasing the possibility of these chemicals being washed into rivers. An overflow of toxins into rivers leads to the death of aquatic life in the rivers and the water bodies into which they drain. The government should step in and take control of the behavior of people and companies polluting the environment to avoid these catastrophes. The US Army Corps of Engineers is one of the brightest ideas that the government came up with as a measure towards reduction and control of flooding in South Florida. This team built the very much needed dikes and controlled the outflow of the lake through channels that they dug out. Strict rules and laws against pollution can also be implemented as a way of punishing pollution offenders. They should be made aware of their wrongs and given the correct correctional punishment, such as fines and community service. These laws are meant to create boundaries beyond which people should not practice pollution. A lot of time and money has to be invested in educating people on pollution, its effects, and how to avoid it. The government can spend taxpayers’ money to sensitize the public on these factors. This kind of education can help in reducing the amount of ignorant pollution and dumping that takes place around the country. Works cited Brezonik, Patrick L., and Anthony C. Federico. Effects of Backpumping from Agricultural Drainage Canals on Water Quality in Lake Okeechobee: Report to Florida Department of Pollution Control for the Special Project to Prevent the Eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee. Tallahassee: [Florida Dept. of Environmental Regulation], 1975. Read More