March 3, 2023

On 3/1/23 Lake Okeechobee was at 15.50 feet, decreasing by 0.18 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,977 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,885 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 1,830 cfs and has been in the optimum flow envelope (750 - 2,100 cfs) for 15 days.

Red Tide

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

On 3/1/23, the FWC reported that over the past week the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 171 samples from and offshore of Southwest Florida, and one sample from Northwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 94 samples from Southwest Florida: 12 in Pinellas County, one offshore of Hillsborough County, three in and offshore of Manatee County, 22 in and offshore of Sarasota County, nine in and offshore of Charlotte County, 25 in and offshore of Lee County, and 22 in and offshore of Collier County.

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

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) (currently displaced off island) received 5 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 2/21/23 - 2/27/23.

Karenia spp. counts on the east end of Sanibel ranged from medium to high from 2/20 to 2/24 but were low on 2/26 and 2/27/23.

Red Tide Alerts

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) has issued health alerts for the presence of a red tide bloom. An alert level of red tide was found near Lynn Hall Park (Fort Myers Beach), Gasparilla Island State Park (Boca Grande Pass), Turner Beach (Captiva), Blind Pass Beach (Sanibel) and Lighthouse Beach (Sanibel). This is in response to water samples taken on February 13, 14, and 15, 2023.

Beach Conditions

The City of Sanibel reported dead and decayed tarpons and mullet washed up along east end beaches along with respiratory irritation on east end and west end beaches. SCCF reported a dead goliath grouper and respiratory irritation at Lighthouse Beach Park and a Sanibel resident reported an abundance of dead mullet at Blind Pass and respiratory irritation.

In the past week, the FWC has received reports of fish kills from Charlotte County (4 reports), Collier County (42 reports), Lee County (35 reports), Manatee County (13 reports), Pinellas County (31 reports), and Sarasota County (12 reports).

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

Discolored water from red tide near Nerita St. beach on 2/24/23 with 10,000,000 cells K. brevis/L. SCCF.

Dead goliath grouper on Lighthouse Beach Park on 2/27/23. SCCF.

Blue-Green Algae

The Lee County Environmental Lab did not collect cyanobacteria samples in the Caloosahatchee Estuary during the week of 2/21/23.  

On 2/15/23, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed predominantly low to medium bloom potential covering 140 square miles of the Lake with areas of high bloom potential along the shore of the Lake.