March 7, 2025

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 3/6/25 Lake Okeechobee was at 13.63 feet, decreasing by 0.18 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 2,113 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,663 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-77 was 1,606 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 2,161 cfs and has been in the stress flow envelope (2,100- 2,600 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 14 days after 5 days in the optimum flow envelope (750- 2,100 cfs).

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

Water Surface Temperature

Weekly Rainfall Totals

WP Franklin (S-79): 0.03" Ortona (S-78): 0.00" Moore Haven (S-77): 0.11"

Virtual Water Quality Tour from Lighthouse Beach Park

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 3/3/25 at 1:45 PM on a slack tide (2.5 ft). The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 2,177 cfs.

Red Tide

On 3/5/25, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 44 samples collected from Southwest Florida. K. brevis was observed at background to very low concentrations in and offshore of Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in and offshore of Hillsborough County, background to very low concentrations offshore of both Manatee and Sarasota counties, background to very low concentrations in and offshore of Charlotte County, and background concentrations offshore of both Lee and Monroe counties.

In the past week, the CROW wildlife hospital on Sanibel admitted 10 patients with suspected red tide/toxicosis: 1 adult sandwich tern (deceased), 4 juvenile double-crested cormorants (1 deceased, 3 still in care), 4 adult royal terns (2 deceased, 2 still in care) and 1 juvenile royal tern (still in care).

Blue-Green Algae

On 3/3/25, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported Microcystis and Dolichospermum as present upstream of the Franklin Locks, appearing as light streaks with some accumulation along the seawall. 

On 3/5/25, satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom but cloud cover and winds prevented an area from being determined. The previous area of the bloom from 2/28/25 covered 40 square miles, or 12% of 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.

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 Quality Dashboard

Water Quality FAQ

Find answers to some of our most commonly asked questions regarding water quality and more.

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

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