Environmental groups raise alarm as Lake Okeechobee water flows to sugar cane fields amid Florida drought

Florida is in the midst of a historic drought, and environmental groups are raising alarms over how water from Lake Okeechobee, released for drought relief, is actually being used.

Despite recent rains, new drought numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor show that most of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast remain under an extreme drought.

Numbers released in March show that 100% of Florida is under a drought for the first time in the state’s recorded history. In February, Lake Okeechobee dropped to its lowest level since 2011, reaching 11.19 feet…

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