U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy wants Gov. Rick Scott to visit him in Washington to discuss options other than dousing the St. Lucie estuary with harmful Lake Okeechobee freshwater.

Murphy, D-Jupiter, sent the Republican governor the invite on congressional letterhead Friday. Federal officials Monday increased the flow of polluted freshwater into the estuary from the lake and local rainwater runoff to 4.8 billion gallons per day, further putting marine wildlife and vegetation at risk.

“Working on every angle of this issue is the only approach that will lead to a solution to this problem that has been suffered for far too long by the local community surrounding the St. Lucie River and estuary,” Murphy wrote. “That is why I invite you to Washington, D.C., to join me in meeting with Army Corps officials to discuss both the state and federal roles in solving this problem.”

Asked whether Scott would meet with Murphy, the governor’s office referred questions to the Department of Environmental Protection, which said it could not speak on Scott’s behalf.

After a Monday roundtable with St. Lucie County business leaders, Scott stressed that most Lake O decisions aren’t under his jurisdiction. Murphy said he was “shocked” by Scott’s response.

“A lot of the decisions, though, are made at the federal level,” Scott said Monday at Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies. “They’re not sitting there saying, ‘Gosh, governor, what do you think?’ every day.”

Murphy’s letter lists state agencies with jurisdiction over Lake O activity, like South Florida Water Management District’s ability to let farmers in the northern Everglades pump water back into the lake. Murphy also responded to Scott’s answer Monday.

“There is no action too big or small to be considered to save our waters,” Murphy wrote, “and no one, especially government officials, can say that this isn’t their problem.”

Murphy said he wants to invite the corps, South Florida Water Management District, agricultural interests and environmental groups to the meeting. He also wants to invite state Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican chairing a Senate oversight committee on the Indian River Lagoon and lake.

“I’m not trying to put someone on the spot. I’m not trying to have a hearing and scare somebody,” Murphy said Friday. “I just want to have a roundtable discussion, get all the facts out there and see if we can’t come up with some new ideas, and make sure we’re continuing to look at all options, because I think you’ll get kind of stuck in a rut sometimes and don’t see the bigger picture.”

Negron met with Murphy July 20 to urge him to file a bill stripping the corps of its jurisdiction over Lake Okeechobee. Since October 2012, Negron has pushed for federal authority over the lake to shift to the state Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District.

“I think it’s important that Negron and (Scott) are on the same page, because Negron is asking for more responsibility,” Murphy said. “He wants the district to manage the entire lake and the discharges and wants the corps completely out of it. They’re completely going in different angles there.”

Murphy plans to present at the Aug. 22 Senate committee meeting on the lagoon, slated for 1 to 9 p.m. at the Charles and Rae Kane Center in Stuart. The panel will propose policy and budget changes to Senate committees by November.

Likewise, Negron said he would be willing to participate if Murphy holds a meeting in Washington. He wants Scott involved in finding solutions.

“I want to focus on what can be done right now,” Negron said. “This is a crisis. And we need Congress, Gov. Scott, the Legislature and our local governments. The status quo is not acceptable.”

According to the corps, releases into the St. Lucie and west into the Caloosahatchee River are necessary to keep the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding the lake from failing. They worry a breach of the dam could flood communities to the south.