March 10, 2023

On 3/8/23 Lake Okeechobee was at 15.26 feet, decreasing by 0.24 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 2,029 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,752 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 2,029 cfs and has been in the optimum flow envelope (750 - 2,100 cfs) for 22 days.

Red Tide

Satellite imagery over the past week has detected small patches of low to medium chlorophyll off the coast of Southwest Florida.

On 3/8/23, the FWC reported that over the past week the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 123 samples from and offshore of Southwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 79 samples from Southwest Florida: 26 in and offshore of Pinellas County, eight in Manatee County, 27 in Sarasota County, five in Charlotte County, four in Lee County, eight in Collier County, and one offshore of Monroe County.

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

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) (currently displaced off island) received 0 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 2/28/23 - 3/6/23.

Red Tide Alerts

On 3/3/23 the Lee County Department of Health issued a red tide alert: A caution level of red tide was found near Lynn Hall Park, San Carlos Bay – Bunch Beach Preserve, Turner Beach (Captiva), and Blind Pass Beach. A cautionary notice indicates low levels (>10,000-100,000 Karenia brevis cells per liter) of red tide detected in sampling. This is in response to water samples taken on February 27. 

Beach Conditions

The City of Sanibel reported that east end beaches were covered in hundreds of large dead fish including drum, redfish, grouper, and tarpon as well as thousands of smaller fish of different species at the tide line.

SCCF staff reported dozens of massive drum and various fish species washed up on shore near the east end beaches.

The large deceased fish on Sanibel beaches (grouper, drum, snook, tarpon, etc.) were reported to be at various stages of decomposition when washed on shore indicating that there is a range of time (therefore distance) fish are dead before strong westerly winds brought them on shore this week and that the affected area is larger than just near the coast.

SCCF reported 4 dead loggerheads on Sanibel, 1 dead loggerhead on Captiva, and 1 dead green on Sanibel (cause of death unknown, suspected to be related to red tide in combination with signs of boat strikes, predation, and/or entanglement)

In the past week, the FWC has received reports of fish kills from Charlotte County (4 reports), Collier County (25 reports), Lee County (17 reports), Manatee County (6reports), Pinellas County (36 reports), and Sarasota County (12 reports).

Click here to report a fish kill to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

An abundance of various fish species washed up on Sanibel east end beaches. SCCF.

Blue-Green Algae

The Lee County Environmental Lab did not collect cyanobacteria samples in the Caloosahatchee Estuary during the week of 2/28/23.  

On 3/07/23, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed scattered low bloom potential with areas of accumulation along the western shoreline and near Fisheating Bay.