Fertilizer and storm water add phosphorus and nitrogen to the Okeechobee watershed. The water moves so quickly that it cannot be naturally cleansed before flowing downstream. The Indian River Lagoon and the Caloosahatchee Estuary also receive local runoff, which contribute high flows of nutrient-laden water into the estuaries optimum water level for the ecosystem and for public safety is between 12.5 and 15.5 feet.
Higher levels have drowned out as much as 70 square miles of plant communities, damaging foraging, breeding, and nesting habitats for ironic wildlife such as the endangered Everglade Snail Kite.
