This Week's Water Conditions Update
March 18, 2022
Water Conditions Tracker
Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts
On 3/16/22 Lake Okeechobee was at 14.21 feet, decreasing by 0.09 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,952 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,695 cfs. The 14-day average flow was 1,943 cfs and has been in the optimal flow envelope for 113 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 3/14/22 at 1:16 PM on a hide tide (high tide @ 12:58 PM (1.66 ft)).
Red Tide
Satellite imagery over the past week has not detected any blooms off the coast of Southwest Florida.

On 3/11/22, the FWC reported that K. brevis was not observed in samples collected statewide over the past week.

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel received 5 birds with toxicosis symptoms (from red tide or blue-green algae) from 3/8/22 - 3/14/22.
Blue-Green Algae
On 3/14/22 sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported the
reported the presence of Dolichospermum and Microcystis at the Alva Boat Ramp as visible specks, upstream of the Franklin Locks with some accumulation and streaks along the lock, and at the Davis Boat Ramp with some streaks visible.

Over the past week, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed less than 5% coverage of low to moderate cyanobacteria bloom potential along the north western shoreline of the lake.
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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