Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, headwaters of Everglades, at near record levels — and rising

Port Hatchineha along the shores of Lake Hatchineha was spared from major damage during Hurricane Ian. But the neighborhood has seen the water rise precipitously in the past week, and it might still be rising.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the waterways along the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are at near-record levels and have not crested yet, days since the storm dumped a deluge of rain on the watershed, which stretches as far north as Orlando.

“These lakes are experiencing record high water levels due to the historic level of rainfall they experienced in Hurricane Ian,” Michelle Roberts, chief of corporate communications for the corps in Jacksonville, said in an email.

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Lake Hatchineha, one of several waterways within the headwaters of the Everglades, had a water level Tuesday of 54.49 inches, according to the corps' website. Lake Kissimmee, to the south of Hatchineha, had reached 54.16 inches.

While the water is high, it is still more than a foot below the highest historic level for the 31,388-acre Lake Kissimmee. The historic range of water levels has varied from 41.8 feet to 55.57 feet, according to the Polk County Water Atlas, found online at Polk.WaterAtlas.USF.edu.

The corps mechanically regulates lake and river water levels for flood control throughout the Kissimmee River Basin, she said.

“All gravity spillways are open and flowing maximum amounts to move water south eventually into Lake Okeechobee,” Roberts said.

“Navigational locks are also open to augment releases out of these lakes,” she said. “Temporary pumps are in place and more are being installed to increase flows out of these lakes. All available options to move water are being implemented.

“Lakes have not reached their crests yet, but we expect sometime in the coming few days for that to occur,” Roberts said.

'Never seen all this water'

Port Hatchineha is at the end of Lake Hatchineha Road on the shore of the 6,665-acre lake bordered mostly by cattle ranches and state conservation land, including the Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve.

Close to the neighborhood, flooding could be seen through the gates to the 1,400-acre Asana Ranch and a proposed site for schools and home. Area resident Debra Lawson said the property across the street from Asana Ranch is also underwater.

"It's bad," Lawson said. "They've got a problem out there."

While surrounding wetlands are flooded, the canals dug at the port decades ago for access to the lake are mostly reinforced with seawalls. The Port residents never lost electricity during the hurricane unlike neighborhoods along U.S. 27, according to residents.

"There are definitely record high waters," said area resident Jeremy Knowles. He said the hurricanes of 2004 did much more damage, washing out portions of Lake Hatchineha Road.

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"We rode out the other day and the water was nowhere near that," Knowles said.

Down Marigold Avenue in Poinciana, portions of the road were close because of floodwater on the roadway, said Donielle Mixon.

"I've never seen all this water," Mixon said. "It's due to this development. There is no more land for the water to go."

Further down Lake Hatchineha Road, additional flooding was noticeable in pastures before the road reaches State Road 17.

Water comes from the north

Upstream from the Hatchineha area, communities in Osceola County near Lake Tohopekaliga have seen even more flooding.

In a release posed Friday, Osceola Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington said the Good Samaritan retirement community in Kissimmee Village would have to be evacuated and the Florida National Guard was rescuing trapped residents.

“Shingle Creek is at a historically high level and it is only going to rise,” Arrington said. “Giving our first-responders the ability to get these few residents out of harm’s way was imperative.”

Back on Lake Kissimmee, Michelle Smith of Lake Wales, whose boat dock juts into the lake, said the water level has covered portions of her dock.

"They are risking flooding homes that were not damaged by the hurricane to remove water from homes that were flooded by the hurricane," Smith said.

The water in Lake Kissimmee is within Osceola County. However, its western shoreline is located in Polk County. So far, the rising waters since Hurricane Ian have had little impact on fish camps along its shore.

Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, marina and RV resort, along the canal between lakes Hatchineha and Kissimmee was open Tuesday morning, it said on Facebook.

The South Florida Water Management District did not respond to requests for details about the timing of crests and additional monitoring by the agency.

The corps and the SFWMD coordinate their response with county Emergency Operations Centers and local officials, Roberts said.

"Residents near these lakes (who are) impacted by high water should refer to their local EOCs for guidance," she said.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Army Corps says Kissimmee Chain of Lakes hasn't stopped rising