Estuarine Conditions as of Sept 1, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

During the last week, an average discharge of 1753 cfs occurred at S-80 from C-44.  Average discharge values through S-48 from C-23 and through S-49 from C-24 are unavailable 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) and the preferred range (envelope) at the two downstream sensors.  HR1 values are estimated from two days at the beginning of this week.

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

 

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Envelope

Palm City Bridge (S. Fork)

 0.17 (1.43)

0.17 (1.44)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

    0.15 (0.92)

   0.17(1.20)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

 0.20 (1.89)

   0.20(1.96)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

 2.87 (3.82)

   9.75 (4.48)

20.0 – 31.0

  

Compared with salinities of the previous week, average salinity in the estuary decreased about 0.8 to 1.8 ppt., except for bottom salinity at A1A Bridge which increased by 5.3 ppt.  All four monitoring stations are reporting salinities below the preferred range.  Salinity conditions in the estuary are considered to be poor 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 10,311 cfs occurred at S-79.  The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant was 30 ppm yesterday, up from 22 ppm at the beginning of this reporting period.  Prior to Tropical Storm Fay, S-78 remained closed with no discharge since June 30th.  S-78 average discharge during the last week was 3993 cfs.  The gates at S-77 have remained closed over the past week.

 

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). 

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Franklin Locks (S-79)

   0.16 (0.16)

0.15 (0.16)

Rt. 31 Bridge

   0.16 (0.16)

    NR (NR)

I-75 Bridge

   0.20 (0.19)

 0.18 (0.18)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

   0.19 (0.28)

 0.19 (0.28)

Cape Coral Bridge

   0.54 (NR)

    1.13 (NR)

Shell Point

   7.69 (5.29)

11.45 (7.35)

 

In the estuary, freshwater conditions extend from S-79 downstream to Cape Coral Bridge.  Salinity conditions in the upper estuary east of Ft. Myers are good (30 day average at Ft. Myers = 0.63 ppt).  

 

Salinity at Cape Coral Bridge is below the preferred ranges for both oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and seagrass, Halodule wrightii. Salinity at Shell Pt is oscillating with the tide between about 26 ppt to 0 ppt.  Therefore, conditions in the lower estuary between Cape Coral and Shell Point are considered poor (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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