Estuarine Conditions as of January 15, 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 and at S-49 on the C-23 canal averaged < 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)

9.4 (9.3)

12.3 (11.2)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

13.2 (13.3)

15.5 (15.7)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

16.6 (16.5)

16.7 (17.1)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

24.2 (24.5)

26.7 (27.3)

20.0 – 31.0

 

Average salinity changed only 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. Based on the salinity tolerances of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, salinity conditions in the estuary are good (see attached).

 

FWRI reports that in Indian River and St. Lucie counties, samples collected within the Indian River Lagoon contained concentrations of  Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, ranging from not present to very low.  Oceanside 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 167 mg/l.  Average salinity increased over the past week. 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)

18.7 (14.8)

18.7 (15.5)

Rt. 31 Bridge

17.4 (14.4)

19.1 (15.5)

I-75 Bridge

NA (14.6)

21.8 (18.3)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

23.0 (20.1)

24.0 (21.0)

Cape Coral Bridge

25.7 (26.9)

29.0 (27.9)

Shell Point

33.7 (NA)

35.5 (NA)

 

Conditions in the upper estuary are poor due to high salinity. The current salinity of 18.7 ppt at S-79 is 2.6 ppt below the maximum weekly average of 21.0 ppt recorded in May 2001.   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. 

 

 

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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