Southwest Florida's "Oil Spill"

In the News-Press June 1st environmental articles, I found "Lake Okeechobee Water Releases Begin." The Army Corps of Engineers recently admitted that the Lake Okeechobee water levels are too high for this time of year, so therefore two billion gallons of freshwater must be dumped down the Caloosahatchee. The main reason for the freshwater releases, is to protect the old Hoover Dike from high levels and maintain a depth of 12.5 feet to 15.5 feet. The current lake level is 14.42 feet. So why release the water? The Army Corps of Engineers fear a very wet summer season and feel that the water must be released into the gulf to reduce the risks. Sanibel citizens and boaters this past Memorial weekend already noticed drastic changes. Salinity levels are way down, fishing was dead, and the water is much darker. Marine biologists do believe the darker water halts the algae blooms, but still believe there will be enough sunlight to cause environmentally dangerous algal blooms. These blooms will kill important estuarine plants that fish and manatees depend on for food and habitat.
Whenever I read stories concerning Lake Okeechobee and freshwater releases, I always wonder why there aren't any alternatives to this problem. Why can't we release the water into the Everglades as sheet flow? Is this too dangerous with its high phosphorus content? Can we somehow contain the extra water for future emergencies? I viewed the comments readers posted after reading the article, and one of the readers compared the freshwater releases to the BP oil spills in the gulf. I agree with his/her remark and feel terrible that the Caloosahatchee will continue to struggle.