Everglades

As the meeting got underway on Thursday, the Corps announced it was increasing releases from the lake into the estuary and river because recent rains have pushed the lake level to 14.81 — about a foot higher than it was at this time last year.

“Today’s event is just further proof that we need to buy land in the Everglades Agricultural Area and build a permanent storage solution,” said Thomas Van Lent, director of science and policy for the Everglades Foundation. “If a reservoir were in place today, these precautionary dry-season releases would not be happening.”

The land deal was not on the agenda of Thursday’s monthly board meeting. However, more than two dozen environmentalists from organizations including the Sierra Club, Florida Wildlife Federation, Audubon Society, Everglades Foundation and Martin County Conservation Alliance filled out comment cards to each speak for three minutes during the public comment segment of the meeting.

All of the speakers supported a land purchase, which the board has not discussed during its meetings. Many asked for the board to hold a special meeting about the land deal or place it on its March meeting agenda.

“I’m frustrated to be standing here to be making general public comment on an item that certainly is important enough to be placed on your agenda,” said Cara Capp, the national chairwoman of the Everglades Coalition. Capp reminded the board that it was the district, not environmental groups, that included the option in a larger land deal the district made with U.S. Sugar in 2010. “This deal was

DAMON HIGGINS / THE PALM BEACH POST Residents and representatives of environmental organizations raise their hands in support of purchasing additional land south of Lake Okeechobee on Thursday during a South Florida Water Management District meeting.