STUART, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Senate's incoming president has announced a $2.4 billion plan aimed at reducing toxic algae outbreaks in the rivers flowing from Lake Okeechobee.
Joe Negron said Tuesday that his plan calls for buying 60,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee and turning it into reservoirs where water from the lake could be sent instead of east and west into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers. Nitrogen and phosphorus in the water has caused periodic outbreaks of guacamole-thick algae in those rivers.
Under Negron's plan, the water would be sent from the lake south where it would be cleansed and then released into the Everglades. Similar plans have been proposed over the years and supported by most residents near the rivers.
Gov. Rick Scott's office issued a statement saying he is reviewing the proposal.
