Estuarine Conditions as of July 3, 2007

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

 

No releases occurred at S-80 over the past week.   At the Roosevelt Bridge salinity averaged 21.7 ppt on the surface and 22.0 ppt on the bottom for the week.  Corresponding values further downstream at the A1A Bridge are 28.4 ppt and 29.3 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) (see attached).

 

 

Caloosahatchee Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

 

Discharge occurred at S-79 on one day over the past week (weekly average 40 cfs).  Chloride concentration at the Olga Plant is presently 166 mg/l.  Weekly average surface salinity ranged from 16.2 ppt at S-79 to 21.6 ppt at Ft. Myers. Bottom salinities ranged from 18.4 ppt at S-79 to 22.9 ppt at Ft. Myers.  Salinity at Shell Point averaged 36.4 ppt on the surface and 37.6 ppt on the bottom.   Salinity remains high in the upper estuary.  In the lower estuary and San Carlos Bay high salinities are good for seagrass and fair for oysters (see attached).

 

There have been reports of anoxic bottom water around the Route 31 Bridge.  A combination of warm temperatures, the deep navigation channel in this area and stratification of the water column is the likely cause.

 

 FWRI reports that no Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected alongshore this week in samples collected between Pinellas and Collier counties.  Discolored water due to a bloom of the non-toxic cyanobacteria Trichodesmium is possible in southern Lee County.

 

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