This Week's Water Conditions Update
July 15, 2022
Water Conditions Tracker
Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts
On 7/13/22 Lake Okeechobee was at 12.99 feet, increasing by 0.11 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,291 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 0 cfs. The 14-day average flow on 7/6/22 was 1,381
cfs and has been in the optimal flow envelope (750 - 2100 cfs) for 18 days.
For more information on Lake Okeechobee and estuary conditions go to the latest Caloosahatchee Conditions Report
Virtual Water Quality Tour from Lighthouse Beach
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 7/11/22 at 1:19 PM on a falling tide (Low tide @ 6:52 PM (-0.52ft)).
Red Tide
Satellite imagery over the past week has not detected any blooms off the coast of Southwest Florida.

On 7/1/22, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample from Northwest Florida over the past week. In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed. 

In the past week (7/5 – 6/11), the CROW wildlife hospital on Sanibel received 1 toxicosis patient: 1 anhinga (died).
Blue-Green Algae
On 7/11/22 sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported the
presence of Planktothrix, Dolichospermum, and Limnospira at the Alva Boat Ramp as yellow-green scum along the shore and ramp and Microcystis at the Davis Boat Ramp as sparse specks.
Data from the FDEP blue-green algae dashboard reported 93 samples collected over the past 30 days for the 10 county area. 24 samples had toxins present ranging from 0.11 to 180 μg per L which is above the EPA recommended standard for recreational waters (8 μg per L).
On 7/13/22, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed moderate bloom potential in the Western and Northern shores of the lake and elevated bloom potential in the offshore areas in the Northern part of the lake. Overall, algal blooms covered about 204 square miles (29%) of the Lake.
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.

Download the algae reporting app on your phone by clicking here or by searching for the ArcGIS Survey123 app in the app store. Once installed, give the app permission to access your phone’s location to receive GPS coordinates of your sighting and camera/media to capture and attach pictures. When you open the app, click “Continue Without Signing In.” 

Next, download the algae reporting survey by scanning the QR code above or clicking here on your phone. Once the survey is downloaded, fill out the required fields and click the check mark in the lower right corner to submit your sighting. Note: If you do not have cellular coverage, you can still fill out the survey and save it in the outbox to be sent later.
Click here to download instructions.
Resources To Follow:
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.



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