Estuarine Conditions as of July 24, 2007

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

 

No releases occurred at S-80 over the past week.   Average salinity was comparable to last week.  At the Roosevelt Bridge salinity averaged 14.0 ppt on the surface and 15.4 ppt on the bottom.  Corresponding values further downstream at the A1A Bridge are 23.5 ppt and 28.0 ppt.  Salinities at both sites are within the preferred range (8-25 ppt for the Roosevelt Bridge and 20-31 ppt for the A1A Bridge).    In the North Fork at the Harbor Ridge station, salinity averaged 10 ppt on the surface and 14 ppt on the bottom.  In the South Fork, at the Palm City Bridge, corresponding values were 9.3 ppt and 11.0 ppt.  Salinity conditions are good (see attached). Oyster survey results from FWRI indicate that average density of oysters in the St. Lucie increased from a mean density of 96.2 (+144.4) per meter square in the fall of 2006 to a mean density of 169.0 (+229.4) per meter square this past spring.

 

 

Caloosahatchee Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

 

Discharge at S-79 averaged 207 cfs last week.  Chloride concentration at the Olga Plant is presently 95 mg/l.  Average surface salinity did not change appreciably in the upper estuary, with surface salinity ranging from 5.8 ppt at S-79 to 13.3 ppt at Ft. Myers. Bottom salinities ranged from 6.3 ppt at S-79 to 17.1 ppt at Ft. Myers.  Salinity at Shell Point declined considerably averaging 30.5 ppt on the surface and 33.8 ppt on the bottom.   Salinity remains high in the upper estuary.  In the lower estuary and San Carlos Bay salinity conditions are good (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.  Discolored water due to a bloom of the non-toxic cyanobacteria Trichodesmium remains possible in portions of Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.

 

 

To view reports and graphs on line go to: Lake Okeechobee Net Inflow Outlook

 

At the bottom of the page click on “Coastal Ecosystems”

 

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