Estuarine Conditions as of October 28, 2008

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

Over the past week discharge averaged 212 cfs at S-80. Discharge from the Lake at S-308 averaged 361 cfs. Provisional data indicated an average discharge of 69 cfs at S-97 on C-23, and 131 cfs from S-49 on C-24.  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)

2.96 (0.77)

  3.71(0.83)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

   4.81 (1.66)

  9.49 (4.30)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

   8.30 (4.41)

 10.87 (5.52)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

 19.62 (16.32)

 25.78 (23.90)

20.0 – 31.0

  

Compared with the previous week, average salinity increased from 2.2 ppt to 5.3 ppt throughout in the estuary.  Bottom salinity at the A1A Bridge is within the preferred range and the surface salinity is close to the lower limit of the preferred range at the A1A Bridge.  Salinity at Roosevelt Bridge is within the preferred range.  Salinity conditions in the estuary are considered to be fair based on the salinity preference of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and location in the estuary see graphic.  

  

Caloosahatchee Estuary

                                                         

Current Conditions:

During the last week, discharge averaged 849 cfs at S-79, 275 cfs at S-78, and 0 cfs at S-77.  The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant was 55 ppm yesterday.  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)

   0.29 (0.26)

0.55 (0.27)

Rt. 31 Bridge

   0.52 (0.27)

   NR (0.28)

I-75 Bridge

   0.82 (0.31)

1.99 (0.36)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

   4.46 (1.19)

7.32 (2.93)

Cape Coral Bridge

 11.53 (6.78)

 14.71 (10.03)

Shell Point

 24.73 (21.36)

NR (22.48)

 

Salinity conditions in the upper estuary east of Ft. Myers are good (30 day average at Ft. Myers = 1.46 ppt).  

 

An increase in salinity 3- 5 ppt occurred downstream of Ft. Myers Yacht Basin. Salinities at Cape Coral Bridge are still below the preferred ranges for both oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and seagrass, Halodule wrightii.  Therefore, conditions in the lower estuary are still considered poor.  Salinity at Shell Point indicates that conditions are good in San Carlos Bay see graphic.

 

FWRI (Fish and Wildlife Research Institute) reports that background concentrations of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, were detected this week in water samples collected along portions of Sarasota County and southern Lee County.  Monitoring data collected by the River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) of Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) indicated that over the last week Chlorophyll concentrations were about 3.0-4.5 µg/L at Ft. Myers and 1.5-3.5 µg/L at Shell Point.  The DO concentration at the two locations ranged from about 5-7 mg/L.

 

 

 

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click on “Current Week”

click on “Technical Summary”

scroll to the bottom and click on “Coastal Ecosystems

 

 

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