Lake Okeechobee Conditions Report January 20, 2009:

 

According to the USACE web site, Lake Okeechobee stage is 13.64’ NGVD, which is 0.17’ lower than a week ago, 0.49’ lower than a month ago, and 3.55’ higher than it was a year ago.  The current stage is 1.06’ below the historical average for this date and 0.09 above the simulated average using the current regulation schedule (LORS2008).  Total reported inflows are 319 cfs and are limited to flows through S65E (311 cfs) and Fisheating Creek (8 cfs).  Total reported outflows are 1872 cfs and include environmental releases to the Caloosahatchee River (347 cfs), water-supply releases through the S351, S352, and S354 (1249 cfs) and to the L8 at Canal Point (135 cfs), and flow (140 cfs) through the S308.

December water-quality monitoring results are now available.  All 25 monitoring stations had sufficient water for sampling.  Total P averaged 152 ppb lakewide (compared to 225 ppb in November) and 139 ppb at nearshore stations (compared to 177 ppb in November).  Total suspended solids (TSS) averaged 21 ppm lakewide (compared to 67 ppm in November) and 16 ppm at nearshore stations (compared to 27 ppm in November). Total P and TSS graphs are attached.

Last week, transect sites along the western shoreline were sampled for submerged-aquatic-vegetation (SAV) to complete the monthly survey.  A total of 37 sites were sampled this month (5 in the south, 25 in the north, 7 in the west) and plants were found at 23 of those sites (0 in the south, 20 in the north, 3 in the west).  Last month 24 sites were visited and only 8 had plants.  The increase in the number of sites with plants this month was due in part to being able to access more of the innermost sites in the north where plants are starting to colonize in areas that were dry before TS Fay. The innermost sites in the south and west are still too terrestrial to sample.  

Monthly phytoplankton monitoring was performed at eight of the nine sites last Wednesday (January 14th) and no blooms were observed.  Mean secchi depth was 0.46 m (compared to 0.44 m in December) with greatest depths near the mouth of the Kissimmee River (>0.8 m).

 

 

 

 


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