Lake Okeechobee Conditions Report
March 25, 2008:
According
to the USACE web site, Lake
Okeechobee stage is 10.23’ NGVD,
which is the same as a week ago and 0.10’ higher than a month ago.
The current stage is 0.41’ lower than it was a year ago and 4.20’
below its historical average for this time of year. Reported inflows cfs include the Kissimmee River
(~1850 cfs), S71 and S72 (~250 cfs),
and the L8 at Canal Point (~434 cfs). No
outflows are reported.
Lake Istokpoga
Update March 25, 2008
Several
studies are being conducted to document environmental conditions in Lake Istokpoga and support
interagency management efforts. The composition and distribution of
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and different
sediment types (sand, mud, peat) across the entire (27,000 acres) lake was
mapped during March. This and future maps will be used to monitor
long-term trends in SAV and to assist efforts by FDEP to control Hydrilla,
which is a major management issue for this lake. Aerial photography of
emergent shoreline vegetation was collected and will be used to produce a map
to guide vegetation management in this zone of the lake. A survey of
apple snail densities and distribution will begin this week in collaboration
with Dr. Phil Darby at the University
of West Florida.
This survey will assess habitat suitability and determine food availability for
breeding snail kites. Currently, there are 8 confirmed snail kite nests
in the lake, 5 along the western shoreline and 3 on islands within the lake.
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