Lake O subaquatic plants growing back after years of decline, sparking hope for recovery
- Austin Schargorodski
- Jul 28
- 1 min read
Lifelong Lake O angler says seeing the vegetation return is like watching a loved one heal
CLEWISTON, Fla — For years, underwater vegetation in Lake Okeechobee has been disappearing, but now it’s making a comeback!
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, works in the area daily and has done a number of stories on the lake’s health. One local angler tells him this new growth is a big deal.
Anglers for Lake O sent Schargorodski video showing eelgrass and other native subaquatic plants starting to grow again. Founder Scott Martin grew up fishing here and says this used to be normal.
“This lake back then was just amazing. The vegetation grew out in the lake more than a mile. The water was crystal clear,” Martin said.
That vegetation once spanned 30,000 acres but dropped to under 500 over the years. Because of that, Martin said he started Anglers for Lake O to fight for the lake. So, he says seeing this return really hits home.
“That feeling that you would have if your mother or father was ill in the hospital and they rebounded. It’s that — that’s what I have,” Martin said.