Estuarine Conditions as of December 18, 2007

 

St. Lucie Estuary

 

Current Conditions:

There were no releases through S-80 over the past week.  Discharge at S-97 on the C-24 Canal averaged 76 cfs.  Discharge at S-49 on the C-23 canal averaged 52 cfs. 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)

4.8 (7.0)

6.1 (9.0)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

9.9 (11.7)

11.3 (14.4)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

11.9 (14.8)

12.9 (15.7)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

20.0 (23.6)

23.5 (26.8)

20.0 – 31.0

 

 

Salinity decreased this week at all monitoring sites. Both the surface and bottom salinity are in the preferred range at the Roosevelt Bridge, and at the A1A Bridge. Based on the salinity tolerances of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, salinity conditions in the estuary are good (see attached).

 

 

Caloosahatchee Estuary

                                                         

Current Conditions:

No discharge occurred at S-79 last week.  The concentration of chlorides at the Olga Plant is 163 mg/l.  Average salinity increased at all monitoring sites over the past week. Shell Point was not reporting. Weekly average salinities for specific sites are given below in parts per thousand (ppt).  Current weekly averages (in bold) may be compared to last week’s data (in parenthesis). 

 

 

Weekly Average Salinity (ppt)

Sampling Site

Surface

Bottom

Franklin Locks (S-79)

15.9 (14.8)

16.6 (15.6)

Rt. 31 Bridge

15.7 (14.5)

17.4 (16.4)

I-75 Bridge

15.1 (14.1)

18.3 (16.9)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

21.3 (20.3)

21.8 (20.4)

Cape Coral Bridge

25.2 (25.6)

28.5 (27.7)

Shell Point

 

 

 

Salinity conditions throughout the system remain good seaward of Cape Coral.  Conditions in the upper estuary are poor (see attached).

 

 

FWRI reports that water samples collected this week detected very low concentrations of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, at Marco Beach in Collier County.  All other samples collected between Pinellas and Collier County contained no K. brevis

 

 

To find this information on the web:

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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