Indian River Lagoon Council Board of Directors Meeting

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Indian River Lagoon Council Board of Directors Meeting Water Conditions Update Deborah Drum, Manager Ecosystem Restoration & Management Division Engineering Department Friday, October 13, 2017 Water Management District-Wide Rainfall September 2017 • September rainfall surpassed September average by 6.30” • District-wide, September rainfall was 13.27” (190% of average rainfall) • More than 8” attributed to Hurricane Irma Water Management District-Wide Rainfall October 2017 • October rainfall is 2.84” • 220% of average rainfall • 1 month precipitation outlook predicted as “above average” Rainfall Resulted in Serious Flooding State-wide Flooded Community along Shingle Creek west of Lake Toho (Kissimmee Area) Upper East Coast Operations • SFWMD releasing as much as possible through S-49 (C-24), S-97 (C-23) and S-99 (C-25) • Gordy Road structured overtopped during Irma • SFWMD utilized Ten Mile Creek Reservoir following the event Current Conditions (as of 0000 hours on October 11, 2017) • Lake Okeechobee at 17.20 feet. • Last time Lake O stage was this high was Oct. 2004 • Lake level increased ~3.5 feet from Irma rainfall, runoff and associated inflows, and October rainfall • Army Corps of Engineers commenced maximum practicable releases to St. Lucie Estuary on September 15th and to Caloosahatchee Estuary on September 19th. • S-80 was releasing ~4600 cfs yesterday; varies with tides. • S-80 flows ranging from 1190-4850 cfs • 770 million – 3.1 billion gallons / day • About 10% of flows from Lake Okeechobee Current Conditions (continued) • Lake inflows peaked ~38,000 cfs and have reduced to ~14,000 cfs coming mostly from Kissimmee • Maximizing flows through East Coast canals. • There is no capacity in canals south of Lake Okeechobee to take lake releases to the Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). • STAs have no capacity to treat lake releases. • WCA-2A and WCA-3A are significantly high, and above their regulation schedules. • These conditions could result in a prolonged period of Lake Okeechobee freshwater releases to the estuaries, including St. Lucie. Lake Okeechobee Water Quality Lake Okeechobee Water Quality S-80 Structure Looking Downstream Roosevelt Bridge St. Lucie Inlet Water Quality • Estuary completely fresh water • Temperatures in St. Lucie Estuary ranging from 82-84 degrees Fahrenheit. • No signs (yet) of cyanobacteria blooms Stuart Causeway Water Conditions Updates posted on Martin County Website on main screen www.martin.fl.us .

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Indian River Lagoon: Lake Kissimmee Lessons, Challenges and Indian River Lagoon
Upper Chain of Lakes Indian River Lagoon: Lake Kissimmee Lessons, Challenges and Indian River Lagoon Opportunities Kissimmee River St. Lucie Estuary Lake Okeechobee Caloosahatchee Estuary Mark Perry, Executive Director Everglades Florida Oceanographic Society February 5, 2015 Biscayne Bay Florida Bay Coral Reefs Cool water Warm water Indian River Lagoon •2100 plant species •2200 animal species (700 fish, 310 birds) Most Biodiverse Estuary in North America Six Lagoon Segments – Six Inlets – Seagrass, major habitat Historic Watershed-572,800 acres Current Watershed- 1,216,640 acres 24 Major Drainage Canals – C-44 (St. Lucie Canal) the largest in the watershed Major Population Increase 1960 to Present Major Problems in the Indian River Lagoon Loss of Seagrass Beds Loss of Mangrove Wetlands & Shorelines Mosquito Impoundments – Disconnected Habitat Major Alteration and Expansion Drainage System in Watershed Changes in Circulation and Tidal Influences Major Increase in Nutrient Levels and Sediment Loads Major Increase in Boating, Fishing, Marina & Waterfront activity Increase in Invasive & Exotic Plants and Animals The ‘perfect storm’ , 2011 superbloom, 2012 brown tide bloom ??? 170,000 acres of Lagoon bottom appropriate for seagrass habitat. Less than 84,000 acres support seagrass. More than 50% of the seagrass beds have been lost from the Lagoon. Direct Effects on Fisheries Economically important Spotted Seatrout fishery decline from overfishing and inhibited reproduction by low salinity levels in the estuary. Bottlenose Dolphins in Indian River Lagoon have Skin Disorders such as Dolphin Pox and Lobomycosis- (FAU HBOI) Sea Turtles in the Indian River Lagoon have Skin Disorders such as Fibropapilloma Upper Chain of Lakes flow south into Lake Kissimmee Lake Kissimmee flows south into the Kissimmee River – 105-mile Oxbow River with 2-mile-wide floodplain Water takes 6-8 Months to reach Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee flows south through “River “River of Grass”, Everglades - 60-mile of wide shallow (1-foot deep) river flowing Grass” at 1 mile in 4 days.
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