This Week's Water Conditions Update | |
Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts | |
On 11/30/22 Lake Okeechobee was at 16.51 feet, increasing by 0.10 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,087 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 416 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 1,032 cfs and has been in the optimal flow envelope (750-2,100cfs) for 35 days. | |
Fish kills abate, but red tide continues | |
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Red tide continues to bloom around Sanibel causing fish kills and sick wildlife. However, since the last water quality update before the Thanksgiving holiday, fish kills and respiratory irritation have declined, which is something to be grateful for! (If you’re experiencing respiratory irritation due to red tide, a face mask can help limit your exposure to the toxins it produces.) Current satellite imagery shows that there are still patches of moderate to high concentrations of chlorophyll off the coast of Sanibel and Sarasota, and the FWC reported that 38 water samples contained bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/L) in Lee County over the past week. So, although the fish kills on Sanibel have declined, red tide is still blooming.
On 11/19 the Army Corps of Engineers began a new release schedule after pausing Lake releases for Hurricane Nicole. Their new target flow for S-79 is a 14-day average pulse release of 1,200 cubic feet per second, which is in the optimal flow range for salinity in the Caloosahatchee. Actual releases from Lake Okeechobee started on 11/29.
With the ongoing red tide bloom, less flow from the Lake and runoff from the watershed would help to reduce the amount of nutrients available to the bloom for growth. However, the Lake is very high for this time of the year after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Typically, during the beginning of the dry season, lake levels are declining, but currently, the Lake is getting higher and deeper. These conditions make the Lake turbid and nutrient rich which makes it difficult for submerged aquatic vegetation to grow and increases the chance of blue green algae blooms in the spring. Striking a balance between minimizing flows to the Caloosahatchee from the Lake and decreasing Lake levels will be important while we have a red tide bloom off the coast.
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Virtual Water Quality Tour from Lighthouse Beach | |
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Click here or on the image above to take a virtual tour from above Lighthouse Beach Park to see how the water looked this week.
Photo was taken on 11/28/22 at 1:10 PM on a rising tide (Low tide @ 11:01 AM (-0.53 ft)).
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Red Tide
Satellite imagery over the past week has detected high concentrations of chlorophyll of the coast of Southwest Florida.
On 11/30/22, the FWC reported that over the past week the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in 133 samples. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 82 samples: one in Manatee County, 34 in and offshore of Sarasota County, two in Charlotte County, 38 in and offshore of Lee County, and seven in Collier County.
K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Pinellas County, very low to medium concentrations in Manatee County, very low to high concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Lee County, and background to high concentrations in Collier County.
On 11/28 - 11/29 SCCF staff observed 1 sample of K. brevis with high concentrations at Lighthouse Beach Park (990,000 cells/liter) and 3 samples with low concentrations at Algiers Beach (60,000 cells/liter), Tarpon Bay Beach (20,000 cells/liter), and Tarpon Bay (40,000 cells/L).
| The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) (currently displaced off island) received 7 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 11/23/22 - 11/30/22. | |
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SCCF staff reported fish kills and a dead double crested cormorant at Lighthouse Beach Park on 11/29/22. There has been a reduction in the number of fish kills and respiratory irritation on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach compared to previous weeks. The Town of Fort Myers Beach reported dead juvenile bonnethead sharks and mild respiratory irritation on 11/29/22.
The FWC Fish Kill Hotline continued to receive reports of multi-taxa kills and respiratory irritation at Goodland Bay, Siesta Key Beach, Venice Pier, Boca Vista Harbor, Southbay Yacht Club Marina, Bowmans Beach, and Big Sarasota Pass. Affected Species: Snook, Red Drum, Gag Grouper, Goliath Grouper, Jack Crevalle, Pinfish, Spotted Seatrout, grunt, Scaled Sardine, Sand Perch, Bluefish, Permit, Bonnethead Shark, mullet, catfish, pufferfish, eel, Horseshoe Crab, unidentified crab, unidentified fish.
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Blue-Green Algae
On 11/28/22 sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported the presence of Microcystis upstream of the Franklin Locks and at the Davis Boat Ramp as wind driven tan/green scum along the lock and seawall.
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On 9/21/22, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed no bloom potential in the lake. | |
Become a Citizen Scientist and Get the Algae Reporting App Today! | |
SCCF wants to know when and where all types of algae sightings occur to monitor conditions around the islands and to investigate algae bloom occurrence with patterns in seasonal weather changes and Lake Okeechobee water management practices.
Download the algae reporting app on your phone by clicking here or by searching for the ArcGIS Survey123 app in the app store. Once installed, give the app permission to access your phone’s location to receive GPS coordinates of your sighting and camera/media to capture and attach pictures. When you open the app, click “Continue Without Signing In.”
Next, download the algae reporting survey by scanning the QR code above or clicking here on your phone. Once the survey is downloaded, fill out the required fields and click the check mark in the lower right corner to submit your sighting. Note: If you do not have cellular coverage, you can still fill out the survey and save it in the outbox to be sent later.
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To learn more about our current water conditions, click on the following links:
A collaborative, weekly analysis, including recommendations for water managers regarding Lake Okeechobee flows.
SCCF's River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network is a network of eight optical water quality sensors deployed throughout the Caloosahatchee and the Pine Island Sound estuary to provide real-time water quality data.
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