This Week's Water Conditions Update

August 29, 2025

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 8/27/25 Lake Okeechobee was at 12.32 feet, increasing by 0.13 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 2,347 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-77 was 0 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 2,131 cfs and has been in the stress flow envelope (2,100- 2,600 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 3 days.

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

Water Surface Temperature

This Week

Daily Average for August 27, 2025


Gulf of Mexico: 86.7°F

Caloosahatchee (Beautiful Island): 85.8°F

Lake Okeechobee (Polesout3s): 85.9°F

Last Week

Daily Average for August 20, 2025


Gulf of Mexico: 90.2°F

Caloosahatchee (Beautiful Island): 89.7°F

Lake Okeechobee (Polesout3s): 88.0°F


Preserving Paradise Day 2 Focuses on Everglades Restoration & Economic Sustainability

On Aug. 19, participants in the second annual Preserving Paradise course gathered for their second day of programming. Preserving Paradise is a collaborative initiative between SCCF, Captains for Clean Water, the Everglades Foundation and the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce to bring together members of Southwest Florida’s business community to expand their knowledge on water quality and Everglades restoration.

Weekly Rainfall Totals

WP Franklin (S-79): 3.15" Ortona (S-78): 1.83" Julian Keen Jr. (S-77): 1.35"

Virtual Water Quality Tour from Lighthouse Beach Park

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 8/26/25 at 11:57 AM on a rising tide (1.7 ft). The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 2,123 cfs.

Red Tide

On 8/22/25, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in five samples collected along and offshore of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample collected offshore of Sarasota County, at background and very low concentrations in Gulf County and background concentrations in and offshore of Dixie County.

Blue-Green Algae

On 8/25/25, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported no visible cyanobacteria across all sites. 

On 8/28/25, satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom covering about 360 square miles, or 77% of the lake. The algal bloom has increased in area since 8/22/25, when the previous area covered about 260 square miles, or 56% 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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