Water-Related News

Fixing Lake Hancock, Peace River is project for the ages

The lake has been considered one of Florida’s most polluted for many decades, and engineers and scientists have been trying to fix the problem for almost as long.

To protect Lake Hancock, the wetlands surrounding it, and the Peace River, officials at the Southwest Florida Water Management District are working on a plan that proposes rules to create a reservation for the water stored in Lake Hancock that’s intended to restore flow in the Peace River, and to prevent the water from being diverted for another purpose.

The agency’s staff has prepared a report laying out the details of the proposal. They presented it at a public meeting last week and the proposal will go to SWFWMD's Governing Board next month for a decision on whether to proceed with formal rule-making to make the plan binding.