Estuarine Conditions as of June 24, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

There were no releases through S-80 from C-44 over the past week.  An average discharge of 200 cfs through S-48 from C-23 and 190 cfs through S-49 from C-24 occurred 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)

 17.42 (18.05)

19.76 (20.77)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

  17.66 (21.05)

 22.02 (23.42)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

21.51 (24.22)

23.18 (25.42)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

 29.48 (29.83)

NA (NA)

20.0 – 31.0

 

 

Compared with salinities of the previous week, average salinity decreased throughout the estuary due to local runoff.  Salinities at HR1 and Roosevelt Bridge decreased about 2-3 ppt.  Salinity at Palm City Bridge decreased 1 ppt.  Salinity decreased only slightly at A1A Bridge.  Salinity conditions in the estuary are considered fair, based on the salinity preference of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, at Roosevelt Bridge.  The current surface salinity of 21.5 ppt at the Roosevelt Bridge is 6.5 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:

An average weekly discharge of 334 cfs occurred at S-79.  No flow was reported at S-77 except for 98 cfs discharge back to the Lake on June 22.  The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant was 178 ppm yesterday, down from 228 ppm in the beginning of this reporting period.  Current weekly average salinity (in bold) may be compared to last week’s data (in parenthesis). 

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Franklin Locks (S-79)

 13.53 (17.84)

14.80 (20.06)

Rt. 31 Bridge

16.80 (18.25)

 20.10 (22.68)

I-75 Bridge

  17.96 (20.71)

 20.76 (22.55)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

  23.75 (24.67)

24.16 (25.67)

Cape Coral Bridge

  28.81 (30.04)

29.21 (29.98)

Shell Point

  34.37 (35.08)

 34.42 (35.22)

 

Average salinities dropped throughout the estuary, ranging from about 5 ppt at S-79 to only about 1 ppt at Ft. Myers to Shell Point.  Average salinity at the Ft. Myers surface sensor was 23.8 ppt, still above the 1-day MFL criterion of 20 ppt.  The current surface salinity of 13.5 ppt at S-79 is 6.5 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.   Salinity conditions in the upper estuary east of Ft. Myers are still poor due to high salinity.  Conditions in the lower estuary downstream of Cape Coral are becoming poor considering the combine salinity preference of oysters and seagrasses (see attached).  

 

No Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected through June 20th, in water samples collected alongshore between Pinellas and Collier counties. Discolored water is possible alongshore of Lee County due to the continued presence of high concentrations of the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. Trichodesmium can collect at the water surface and appear brown, green, or white.  At high concentrations, a Trichodesmium bloom may be mistaken for an oil or sewage spill. 

 

 

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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