Lake
Okeechobee Conditions Report February 12, 2008:
According
to the USACE web site,
In
January, 20 of the 27 water quality sampling sites had sufficient water for
sampling. Preliminary lakewide TP averaged 232 ppb and TSS
averaged 104 mg/L. These concentrations are higher than those measured in
December (TP = 97 ppb, TSS
= 21 mg/L). Preliminary average TP at nearshore sites increased from 54 ppb in December to 117
ppb in January and TSS increased from 10.5 mg/L to
35.8 mg/L.
The
monthly submerged-aquatic-vegetation (SAV) survey was
completed last week. The macroalga Chara remains the dominant SAV
species and was found at 8 of the 29 sites sampled. This distribution is
lower than that reported in December, with slight reductions in the density of Chara. Water clarity decreased with secchi depths less than 50% of total depths at 10 of the 29
sites sampled. One species of vascular SAV, Vallisneria