September 23, 2022

On 9/21/22 Lake Okeechobee was at 12.93 feet, increasing by 0.34 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 7,455 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 0 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 5,138 cfs and has been in the damaging flow envelope (>2,600 cfs) for 15 days.

Wet season rainfall patterns bring water

throughout the District

Rainfall has increased to 147% of normal across the South Florida Water Management District in September. Increased lake levels have put us back into the Base Flow Sub-band of the Lake Okeechoobee Regulation Schedule from the Water Shortage Management Band. There have been no flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee. Increased flows to the Caloosahatchee have come from runoff in the watershed resulting in reduced water clarity.

Red Tide

Satellite imagery over the past week has not detected any blooms off the coast of Southwest Florida.

On 9/16/22, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis was observed at background concentrations in a sample collected 15 miles offshore of Collier County.

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel received 1 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 9/13/22 - 9/19/22.

Blue-Green Algae

On 9/19/22 sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported the

presence of Microcystis at the Davis Boat Ramp as sparse specks.

Data from the FDEP blue-green algae dashboard reported 84 samples collected over the past 30 days for the 10 county area. No samples had toxins present.

On 9/21/22, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed low bloom potential in the western area of the lake. Overall, algal blooms covered about 104 square miles (15%) of the Lake.

Red algae (Hypnea) accumulation on Bunche Beach on 9/17/22. SCCF.