Kissimmee Watershed Environmental Conditions – 02/19/08

 

·        Over the last seven days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received approximately 0.4-0.5 inches of rainfall and the lower basin received 1-1.5 inches of rainfall (Raindar 2/12/08 – 2/19/08).

·        Water levels in the upper basin lakes are at or below their regulation schedules. 

·        Lake Kissimmee (S-65) continued discharging approximately 250 cfs to the Kissimmee River.  Releases of 300 cfs are being made from Lake Toho (S-61).  No other releases are being made in the upper basin.

·        In the upper basin, snail kites are nesting on East Lake Toho in addition to Lake Toho.

·        Flow has been reestablished to the Kissimmee River for 209 days (S-65 re-opened on 07/18/07). 

·        Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the river channel of the Kissimmee River ranged from 5.1 mg/L to 8.9 mg/L with an average of 7.2 mg/L.

·        A recommendation was made last week to begin making releases now from Lake Toho and East Lake Toho so that the water levels in these lakes would decrease more gradually to the low pool stage of the regulation schedule by June 1.  Earlier releases and a slower recession rate are thought to benefit the endangered snail kite during its nesting season.  This should also result in lower discharges for hydrilla treatment in Lake Cypress.

 


 

 Back to Lake Okeechobee Operations Main Page

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