This Week's Water Conditions Update

April 11, 2025

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 4/9/25 Lake Okeechobee was at 12.34 feet, decreasing by 0.22 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 1,547 cfs (cubic feet per second) and flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 1,549 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-77 was 1,488 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 1,492 cfs and has been in the optimum flow envelope (750- 2,100 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 29 days.

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

Bill of the Week: Mitigation Banks

HB 1175/SB 492, Mitigation Banks, is a bill that, if passed, will expedite wetland destruction across the state and cause further degradation of our overtaxed coastal systems.

Read More

Water Surface Temperature

This Week

Daily Average for April 9, 2025


Gulf of Mexico: 79.3°F

Caloosahatchee (Beautiful Island): 82.0°F

Lake Okeechobee (Polesout3s): 77.6°F

Last Week

Daily Average for April 2, 2025


Gulf of Mexico: 75.9°F

Caloosahatchee (Beautiful Island): 84.2°F

Lake Okeechobee (Polesout3s): 76.7°F


Weekly Rainfall Totals

WP Franklin (S-79): 0.52" Ortona (S-78): 0.38" Moore Haven (S-77): 0.00"

Virtual Water Quality Tour from Lighthouse Beach Park

*Due to high local wind conditions, the aerial photo of water quality is not available this week. Please check back on our aerial photo page in the coming days to see the most recent photo and virtual tour. The photo above links to the virtual tour from 3-31-25.

Red Tide

On 4/4/25, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was not observed in samples collected statewide over the past week.

Blue-Green Algae

On 4/7/25, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported sparse specks of Microcystis upstream of the Franklin Locks. 

On 4/10/25, satellite imagery Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom but cloud cover/ winds prevented an area from being determined. The previous area of the bloom on 4/9/25 covered about 60 square miles, or 13% 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.


Click on and bookmark this link to report an algal bloom sighting.

Resources To Follow:

To learn more about our current water conditions, click on the following links:


Water Quality Dashboard


Water Quality FAQ

Find answers to some of our most commonly asked questions regarding water quality and more.


Water Conditions Update Archive


Caloosahatchee Conditions Report

A collaborative, weekly analysis, including recommendations for water managers regarding Lake Okeechobee flows.


RECON

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.


Caloosahatchee River Virtual Tour



Red Tide Resources


NOAA HAB Monitoring System - Lake Okeechobee

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