On 10/20/21 Lake Okeechobee was at 15.83 feet (-0.02 feet in the past week).The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,369 cfs (cubic feet per second) this week. The 14-day average flow on 10/20/21 was 2,091 cfs and is now in the optimal flow envelope (750 - 2100 cfs) after being above the optimal flow envelope for 41 consecutive days. As flows from the watershed decrease with minimal rainfall in the region, lake releases from S-77 may increase to provide water supply for agriculture, maintain optimal flows for salinity at S-79 and to try to achieve lake levels within the ecological envelope. On 10/20/21 flows from S-77 began indicating a shift in operations in water management. There are also lake releases to the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and increased flows south to the Everglades.

For more information on Lake Okeechobee and estuary conditions go to the latest Caloosahatchee Conditions Report

The high chlorophyll patches have diminished since the previous week in satellite imagery. There is a smaller, less intense chlorophyll patch approximately 5.5 miles offshore of Cayo Costa and medium chlorophyll levels offshore in Southwest Florida. Karenia brevis and/or other algal species may be contributing to the chlorophyll concentrations.

In Lee County, FWC cell counts for Karenia brevis indicated bloom concentrations (>10,000 cells/L) in Pinellas (6), Manatee (7), Sarasota (13), Charlotte (1), and Lee (2) counties. The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel received 1 patient with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 10/10/21 - 10/18/21.

Additional sampling by SCCF scientists during routine water quality surveys found bloom concentrations of Karenia brevis in 7 samples offshore of Captiva Island on 10/11/21.

The FWC fish kill hotline continues to receive reports of red tide related fish kills in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties.

No cyanobacteria was present in the Caloosahatchee over the past week. On 10/18/21 satellite imagery showed algal blooms covering about 180 square miles of Lake Okeechobee. There is a low to medium bloom potential in the western portion of the Lake.

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.

Algae Reporting App.

Click here to subscribe to Connecting You to SCCF and other SCCF mailing lists.