The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has released the first complete draft of the Lake Management Plan for Lake Okeechobee and will host two public meetings to gather feedback.

The first meeting will be in Clewiston on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 6-8 p.m. at the John Boy Auditorium, 1200 W C Owen Ave, Clewiston FL 33440. The second meeting will be held in Okeechobee on Thursday, Nov. 18, 6-8 p.m. at the Okeechobee Civic Center, 1750 U.S. Highway 98 N, Okeechobee, FL 34972.

After gathering input earlier this year, FWC staff drafted a plan to balance the biological needs of fish and wildlife with the desires of a wide range of stakeholders. To gather final comments, the FWC will host public meetings pertaining to each of the different waterbodies across the state. The in-person meetings will be recorded and the recordings will be available on the Lake Management Plans web page after the meetings.

Lake Management Plans are comprehensive, covering the FWC’s management of a system’s fish, wildlife and habitats. Plans cover management activities within the FWC’s jurisdiction while providing recommendations to partner agencies on items outside of that jurisdiction, such as water levels and water quality. FWC management activities can include, but are not limited to, habitat protection, restoration and enhancement, fisheries management, and invasive plant management.

For questions related to the management plans or meetings, contact Ben Shepherd at bshepherd@inwoodinc.com or 407-971-8850, or visit MyFWC.com/Lakes-Plans.

For general waterbody information, fishing forecasts, virtual tours, plant control operation schedules and annual workplans, boat ramp information, and more, visit the “What’s Happening on My Lake” website at MyFWC.com/Lake.