Estuarine Conditions as of December 4, 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 0 cfs.  Discharge at S-49 on the C-23 canal averaged 23.5 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)

7.6 (7.2)

9.1 (8.6)

 

HR1 (N. Fork)

9.5 (9.0)

12.8 (10.9)

 

Roosevelt Bridge

13.3 (12.8)

13.7 (12.9)

8.0 – 25.0

A1A Bridge

21.4 (22.3)

26.4 (26.6)

20.0 – 31.0

 

 

Salinity increased this week upstream of the Roosevelt Bridge. 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 128 mg/l.  Average salinity increased throughout the estuary last week except at S-79.  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)

13.6 (14.7)

14.4 (15.0)

Rt. 31 Bridge

13.8 (13.5)

16.1 (14.9)

I-75 Bridge

14.0 (13.4)

17.0 (15.7)

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

19.1 (19.0)

20.2 (19.2)

Cape Coral Bridge

24.0 (23.7)

27.2 (26.8)

Shell Point

32.5 (32.4)

34.1 (33.9)

 

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

 

 

FWRI reports that background concentrations of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, were detected this week at the Gasparilla Fishing Pier (Charlotte County).  All other samples collected between Pinellas and Collier counties contained no K. brevis.  Additional samples collected offshore of Pinellas County, Lee County and the Florida Keys also 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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