SCCF Weekly Water Conditions Update

This Week's Water Conditions Update

February 16, 2024

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 2/14/24 Lake Okeechobee was at 16.37 feet, increasing by 0.05 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,756 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,046 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 1,854 cfs and has been in the optimum flow envelope (750 - 2,100 cfs) for 13 days.

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

Lake Okeechobee Releases Starting This Weekend

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Feb. 14 that it will start releasing water from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River beginning this weekend.

The Corps aims to send 6,300 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) out of the lake starting Saturday, with 4,000 cfs heading west to the Caloosahatchee, 1,800 cfs heading east to the St. Lucie Estuary, and 500 cfs to the Lake Worth Lagoon.

SCCF will be working with the Army Corps to provide recommendations for the releases, such as structuring "pulses" in a way that best protects the health of the estuary and ending the releases prior to the beginning of oyster spawning.

Water Surface Temperature

This Week

Daily Average for Feb. 14, 2024

Gulf of Mexico: 67.8°F

Caloosahatchee (Alva): 69.6°F

Lake Okeechobee (Polesout3s): 67.57°F

Last Week

Daily Average for Feb. 7, 2024

Gulf of Mexico: 64.2°F

Caloosahatchee (Alva): 67.0°F

Lake Okeechobee (Polesout3s): 62.7°F

Weekly Rainfall Totals

WP Franklin (S-79): 0.00” Ortona (S-78): 0.00” Moore Haven (S-77): 0.00”

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 2/14/24 at 1:18 PM on a rising tide (1.8 ft). The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 1,895 cfs.

Red Tide

On 2/9/24, the FWC reported that the red tide organism Karenia brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample from the Florida East Coast over the past week. In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) received 2 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 2/6/24 - 2/12/24

Blue-Green Algae

On 2/12/24 sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported that no cyanobacteria were observed on the Caloosahatchee.

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.

Resources To Follow:

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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