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

Palm City Bridge (S. Fork)

9.3 (6.7)

11.2 (9.9)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

13.3 (11.4 )

15.7 (14.3)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

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 Roosevelt Bridge, and at the A1A Bridge. Based on the salinity tolerances of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, salinity conditions in the estuary are good (see attached).

 

FWRI reports that along the East Coast, background concentrations of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, were detected at Walton Rocks Beach (St. Lucie County) and Chastane Beach (Martin County).  All other samples collected between Brevard and Martin counties contained no K. brevis.

 

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

Franklin Locks (S-79)

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)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

20.1 (21.4)

21.0 (21.9)

Cape Coral Bridge

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 Cape Coral Bridge is at the upper limit of the optimal range for the oyster, Crassostrea virginica (see attached).

 

FWRI reports that water samples collected alongshore this week between Pinellas and Monroe counties contained no Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism.  Additional samples collected offshore of the Florida Keys also contained no K. brevis

 

 

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”

 


 

Back to Lake Okeechobee Operations Main Page

Back to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers WSE Homepage