Estuarine Conditions as of Jan 29, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

There were no releases through S-80 from Lake Okeechobee or the C-44 Basin. There was no discharge from S-49 on the C-24 Canal during the last week and average flow for the week from C-23 through S-97 was < 1.0 cfs. The current weekly average salinities (in bold) at the four monitoring sites in the St. Lucie are given below in parts per thousand (ppt), along with the previous week’s (in parenthesis).

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

 

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Envelope

Palm City Bridge (S. Fork)

11.2 (11.1)

 14.2 (13.5)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

16.5 (15.4)

18.27 (16.8)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

19.2 (18.7)

20.2 (19.7)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

27.3 (27.6)

28.7 (28.9)

20.0 – 31.0

 

Except at the A1A Bridge, average salinity increased slightly during the past week. Both the surface and bottom salinity are in the preferred range at the Roosevelt Bridge, and at the A1A Bridge. The current surface salinity of 19.2 ppt at the Roosevelt Bridge is 8.8 ppt below the maximum weekly average of 28.0 ppt achieved in May 2001 during the 2000 – 2001 drought (last week’s difference was 9.3 ppt). Based on the salinity tolerances of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, salinity conditions in the estuary are good (see attached).

 

FWRI reports no Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, in samples collected between Volusia and St. Lucie counties. 

 

Caloosahatchee Estuary

                                                         

Current Conditions:

Discharge for the week at S-79 averaged 367 cfs as a result of 3 days of flow with a peak of 966 cfs. The 30-day average discharge from S-79 is 86 cfs. The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant is 184 mg/l.  Weekly average salinities for specific sites are given below in parts per thousand (ppt).  Current weekly averages (in bold) may be compared to last week’s data (in parenthesis). 

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Franklin Locks (S-79)

16.9 (18.5)

17.8 (18.7)

Rt. 31 Bridge

17.7 (17.7)

19.5 (18.4)

I-75 Bridge

NA

20.5 (20.5)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

23.6 (22.7)

23.6 (22.9)

Cape Coral Bridge

25.3 (25.9)

30.3 (29.1)

Shell Point

33.8 (32.8)

35.3 (34.5)

 

Salinity declined only at the S-79 downstream recorder as a result of the S-79 releases. The salinity at all the other recorders located downstream of S-79 (except the Cape Coral surface sensor) either remained unchanged or salinity increased slightly. The current surface salinity of 16.9 ppt at S-79 is 3.5 ppt below the maximum weekly average of 20.0 ppt achieved in May 2001 during the 2000 – 2001 drought. Salinity at the Ft. Myers surface sensor remains above the 1-day MFL target (20 ppt).  Salinity at the Cape Coral Bridge surface recorder is at the upper limit of the optimal range for the oyster, Crassostrea virginica.  Salinity at the bottom sensor exceeds the preferred range. Salinity at Shell Pt is either near or is beginning to exceed the tolerance limits of oysters. Salinity downstream of Cape Coral is good for seagrass.

 

Based on submerged plants requirements, conditions in the upper estuary, east of Ft. Myers, are poor due to high salinity. Based on the salinity tolerances of oysters, salinity conditions in the estuary downstream of the Cape Coral Bridge is fair (see attached). 

 

 

FWRI reports that water samples collected along the shore between Pasco and Collier counties contained no Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism. Samples off shore had either no organisms or concentrations at background levels.

 

 

To find this information on the web:

https://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_pageid=1314,2554645,1314_19738269:1314_19738234&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

·        click on “Current Week”

·        click on “Technical Summary”

·        scroll to the bottom and click on “Coastal Ecosystems”

 

 

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