On 11/11/21 Lake Okeechobee was at 15.99 feet increasing by 0.16 feet in the past week due to a rainfall event across the region last Thursday and Friday. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 3,262 cfs (cubic feet per second) this week and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 41 cfs, so the majority of the flow to the estuary came from runoff in the watershed. The 14-day average flow on 11/11/21 was 2,372 cfs and has been in the stress flow envelope (2,100 - 2,600 cfs) for 4 days.

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

Light to moderate showers and thunderstorms are predicted through Saturday due to a cold front moving through the region from central Florida on Friday night. Drier conditions are expected to move in behind the cold front for Saturday night and Sunday.

Satellite imagery over the past week has shown low to moderate concentrations of chlorophyll off the coast of Southwest Florida. Karenia brevis and/or other algal species may be contributing to the chlorophyll concentrations. Low and medium concentrations of Karenia brevis were detected 1.1 miles south of Tarpon Bay Road Beach and 9.5 miles southwest of Bowman's Beach, respectively.

FWC samples in Lee county had background to high concentrations of Karenia brevis. The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel received 17 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 10/31/21 - 11/8/21.

The FWC fish kill hotline received no reports of fish kills in Southwest Florida due to red tide over the past week, but they are still receiving reports in the panhandle (Franklin County (2 reports)) related to red tide.

No cyanobacteria was present in the Caloosahatchee over the past week. On 11/8/21 satellite imagery showed low to medium bloom potential along the northwest and southwest shorelines in Lake Okeechobee.

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.

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