Estuarine Conditions as of January 8,
2008
St. Lucie Estuary
Current Conditions:
There were no releases
through S-80 over the past week. Discharge at S-97 on the C-24 Canal
averaged 0.5 cfs. There was negligible discharge at S-49 on the C-23
canal. 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 |
|
9.3 (6.7) |
11.2 (9.9)
|
|
HR1 (N. Fork) |
13.3 (11.4
) |
15.7
(14.3) |
|
|
16.5
(14.2) |
17.1
(16.1) |
8.0 – 25.0 |
A1A Bridge |
24.5
(23.1) |
27.3
(27.0) |
20.0 – 31.0 |
Salinity increased this
week at all monitoring sites. Both the surface and bottom salinity are in the
preferred range at the
FWRI
reports that along the East Coast, background concentrations of the red tide
organism, Karenia brevis, were detected at
Caloosahatchee Estuary
Current Conditions:
No discharge occurred at S-79
last week. The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant is 178
mg/l. Average salinity increased in the upper estuary changed only
slightly over the past couple of weeks. Shell Point was not reporting.
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 |
|
14.8
(13.6) |
15.5
(14.7) |
Rt. 31 Bridge |
14.4
(13.8) |
15.5
(17.4) |
I-75 Bridge |
14.6
(14.5) |
18.3 (19.8)
|
|
20.1
(21.4) |
21.0
(21.9) |
|
26.9
(25.4) |
27.9
(28.5) |
Shell Point |
NA (32.5) |
NA (34.1) |
Conditions are poor in the
upper estuary due to high salinity. Salinity at the
FWRI
reports that water
samples collected alongshore this week between Pinellas and Monroe counties
contained no Karenia brevis, the
To find this information on the web:
·
click on “Current
Week”
·
click on “Technical
Summary”
·
scroll to the
bottom and click on “Coastal Ecosystems”