Estuarine Conditions as of May 6, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

There were no releases through S-80 from C-44,  S-49 from C-24, and S-48 from C-23 over the past week.  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)

 15.16 (13.98)

16.13 (15.26)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

  16.88 (17.57)

 18.14 (18.77)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

16.07 (16.76)

18.81 (18.95)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

 26.56 (27.28)

30.07 (29.16)

20.0 – 31.0

 

 

Average salinity increased about 1 ppt in the South Fork and North Fork, and remained about the same at Roosevelt Bridge and 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 flow data at the structures along C-43 were available for only three days during the last week. There was no flow through S-79 at the beginning of the reporting period and the gates were closed yesterday. As of May 2nd, the prior 30-day average flow from S-79 was 130 cfs. During the beginning of the week, flows at S-77 from Lake Okeechobee were 81 and 411 cfs. S-77 flow yesterday was 364 cfs. At S-78, flows were 59 and 129 cfs at the beginning of this reporting period and 36 cfs yesterday. The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant was 203 ppm yesterday, up from 192 ppm at the beginning of this reporting period. Current weekly averages (in bold) may be compared to last week’s data (in parenthesis).  Averages are based on data available for 5 of the 7 days.   

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Franklin Locks (S-79)

 15.74 ( 13.77)

16.45 (14.64)

Rt. 31 Bridge

15.77 (13.33)

 17.68 (NA)

I-75 Bridge

  16.47 ( NA )

 18.68 (17.41)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

  22.29 (21.36)

 23.16 (22.23)

Cape Coral Bridge

  29.36 (28.35)

29.51 (28.98)

Shell Point

  34.55 (34.50)

 35.36 (35.22)

 

Average salinities increased approximately 2 ppt in the upper estuary, about 1 ppt in the lower estuary at Cape Coral, and stayed the same at Shell Point.  Salinity at the Ft. Myers surface sensor was above the 1-day MFL criterion of 20 ppt.  The current surface salinity of 15.7 ppt at S-79 is 4.3 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 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 seagrasses (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. 

 

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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