Estuarine Conditions as of April 22, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

There were no releases through S-80 over the past week. During this same period, discharge was minimal at S-49 from C-24 and at S-49 from the C-24, respectively averaging 1.64 cfs and 0.07 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)

 11.09 (10.13)

12.44 (10.41)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

  14.04 ( 9.19)

 16.87 (13.40)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

 15.93 (13.08)

18.02 (15.03)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

 24.66 (23.60)

27.79 (27.52)

20.0 – 31.0

 

Average salinity increased 1 to 2 ppt in the South Fork, 3 to 5 ppt in the North Fork, 3 ppt at Roosevelt Bridge, and 1 ppt on the surface at A1A Bridge during the past week. Both the surface and bottom salinity are in the preferred range at the Roosevelt Bridge, and at the A1A Bridge.  Salinity conditions in the estuary are considered good, based on the salinity preference of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, at Roosevelt Bridge.  The current surface salinity of 16.0 ppt at the Roosevelt Bridge is 12 ppt below the maximum weekly average of 28.0 ppt achieved in May 2001 during the 2000 – 2001 drought (see attached).

  

Caloosahatchee Estuary

                                                         

Current Conditions:

The direction of flow though S-77 at the beginning of the week was 166 cfs into Lake Okeechobee. However, the net flow for the week from S-77 was 100 cfs into the eastern C-43 basin. The S-78 gates were closed and there was no discharge through S-79 during the past week. The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant yesterday was 186 mg/l, up from 155 mg/l last 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)

 11.06 ( 9.03)

11.73 (9.60)

Rt. 31 Bridge

10.89 ( 9.39)

NA (9.58)

I-75 Bridge

      NA ( NA )

 15.01 (16.04)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

  19.40 (19.95)

 20.41 (21.16)

Cape Coral Bridge

26.95 (26.87)

27.71 (27.74)

Shell Point

33.40 (33.44)

 34.15 (34.25)

 

Average salinities increased 1 to 2 ppt in the upper estuary and remained the same in the lower estuary.  Salinity at the Ft. Myers surface sensor was again just below the 1-day MFL criterion of 20 ppt.  The current surface salinity of 11 ppt at S-79 is 9 ppt below the maximum weekly average of 20.0 ppt achieved in May 2001 during the 2000 – 2001 drought.  Salinity at Shell Point and the Cape Coral Bridge is near or above the optimal range for the oyster, Crassostrea virginica.  Conditions in the upper estuary east of Ft. Myers are poor due to high salinity.  Conditions in the lower estuary downstream of Cape Coral are fair considering the combine salinity preference of oysters and seagrass (see attached).  

 

FWRI reports that no Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected this week in water samples collected alongshore between Pinellas and Collier counties. 

 

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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