May 19, 2023

On 5/17/23 Lake Okeechobee was at 13.81 feet, decreasing by 0.25 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,827 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,993 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 1,677cfs and has been in the optimum flow envelope (750 - 2,100 cfs) for 35 days.

Red Tide

Satellite imagery over the past week detected a 3 mile squared patch of chlorophyll with low concentrations off the coast of Cayo Costa.

On 5/18/23, the FWC reported that over the past week the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 59 samples collected from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were not observed.

In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in Sarasota County, background to low concentrations in Charlotte County, background to very low concentrations in and offshore of Lee County, background to very low concentrations in Collier County, and background concentrations offshore of Monroe County.

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) received 0 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 5/9/23 - 5/15/23.

Blue-Green Algae

On 5/15/23 sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported the presence of Dolichospermum at the Alva Boat Ramp as visible specks on the surface and in the water column with no accumulation. Dolichospermum and Microcystis were moderately abundant upstream of the Franklin Locks and at the Davis Boat Ramp as some streaks with wind driven accumulation along the shore/Lock and some streaks with slight accumulation along the seawall, respectively. 

On 5/15/23, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed moderate to high bloom potential covering about 100 square miles primarily in the southern portion of the Lake and in Fisheating Bay.

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.

Click on and bookmark this link to report an algal bloom sighting.

To learn more about our current water conditions, click on the following links:

Water Conditions Update Archive

Caloosahatchee Conditions Report

A collaborative, weekly analysis, including recommendations for water managers regarding Lake Okeechobee flows.

RECON

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.

Caloosahatchee River Virtual Tour



Red Tide Resources

NOAA HAB Monitoring System - Lake Okeechobee