Estuarine Conditions as of August 3, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

There were no releases through S-80 from C-44 over the past week.  An average discharge of 250 cfs through S-48 from C-23 and 346 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)

 5.08 (7.22)

6.01 (8.08)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

    4.60 (5.31)

  9.66 (10.52)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

7.80 (9.70)

 10.32 (12.23)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

 16.63 (18.91)

 22.76 (25.61)

20.0 – 31.0

 

 

Compared with salinities of the previous week, average salinity in the estuary decreased about 0.9 to 2.9 ppt.  Two of four monitoring stations are reporting salinities within the preferred range.  Salinity conditions in the estuary are considered to be fair to good based on the salinity preference of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and location in the estuary (see attached).  

  

Caloosahatchee Estuary

                                                         

Current Conditions:

An average weekly discharge of 1195 cfs occurred at S-79.  The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant was 64 ppm yesterday, up from 62 ppm in the beginning of this reporting period.  The current weekly average salinities (in bold) at the six monitoring sites in the Caloosahatchee Estuary are given below in parts per thousand (ppt), along with the previous week’s (in parenthesis). 

 

Based on the USGS flow meter located just below S77 water is flowing back into the Lake at a rate of about 200 cfs.  S78 has remained closed with no discharge from June 30th.

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Franklin Locks (S-79)

   0.29 (0.29)

0.29 (0.29)

Rt. 31 Bridge

   0.30 (NR)

    0.25 (NR)

I-75 Bridge

   0.40 (0.41)

 0.39 (0.41)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

   0.85 (1.18)

 0.86 (1.28)

Cape Coral Bridge

   7.78 (6.81)

  9.54 (8.62)

Shell Point

 22.88 (20.22)

 24.41 (22.29)

 

Fresh water extends from S-79 downstream, at least to Ft. MyersSalinity conditions in the upper estuary east of Ft. Myers are good (30 day average at Ft. Myers = 5 ppt). Salinity at Cape Coral Bridge is below the preferred range for the oyster, Crassostrea virginica and  below the preferred range for seagrass, Halodule wrightii, upstream of Shell Point.  Conditions in the lower estuary between Cape Coral and Shell Point are fair-poor considering the combined salinity preference of oysters and seagrasses.  Salinity conditions in San Carlos Bay are good (see attached).  

 

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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