WEST PALM BEACH -- The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board will hold a workshop meeting on  Tuesday, June 29, at 10 a.m. at SFWMD headquarters, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach.

This workshop will provide the Governing Board with an overview of the Lake Okeechobee System
Operating Manual (LOSOM). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District is the
federal agency responsible for developing the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM).
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is updating the Lake Okeechobee operations manual to reevaluate
and define operations for the Lake Okeechobee regulation schedule that take into account additional
infrastructure that will soon be operational. The additional infrastructure that will be taken into
consideration includes the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation, Kissimmee River Restoration Project, as

well as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir and
C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area.

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has adopted the following position statement
on LOSOM: “The South Florida Water Management District works to safeguard and restore South Florida's
water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region's
water needs while connecting with the public and stakeholders. LOSOM allows us to capitalize
on recent infrastructure improvements including rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike and
CERP features. The SFWMD views balancing the differing interests across the system,

including flexibility to adapt to current situations to achieve that balance, as integral to the
success of the LOSOM process. Those interests include: equitably delivering water supply to
society and the environment for beneficial uses during the dry season; increasing the tolerance
for temporary/short term higher lake stages during the wet season in order to avoid harmful
estuary discharges; and maintaining the other congressionally authorized purposes of flood
control, navigation, and recreation.”