LAKE OKEECHOBEE — Water levels in Lake Okeechobee remain low and slightly below recent averages, according to the South Florida Water Management District, as weather patterns across the region continue to shift between dry and wetter conditions.
As of June 7, the lake stage was 9.86 feet NAVD88, down 0.04 feet from the previous week and 0.26 feet lower than a month earlier, according to the district. Inflows into the lake averaged 200 cubic feet per second, while outflows averaged 450 cfs, both down from the previous week.
The report also noted satellite imagery from NOAA’s Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring System suggesting moderate to high cyanobacteria potential in Fisheating Bay and along much of the Indian Prairie and northern shoreline.
Across the broader South Florida region, the district said rainfall patterns are expected to vary through the week, with deeper moisture moving into the area and increasing the likelihood of afternoon storms in some areas, particularly inland and west early in the week, followed by a shift toward the east coast later in the weekend.
In the St. Lucie Estuary, total inflow averaged 253 cfs over the past week, with no releases from Lake Okeechobee. Salinity levels increased at all monitoring sites, with middle estuary conditions remaining within the optimal range for adult eastern oysters, according to the district.
In the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, total inflow averaged 488 cfs, including 73 cfs from Lake Okeechobee. Surface salinities decreased across all sites, with conditions varying from optimal for tape grass in the upper estuary to stressed or damaging levels farther downstream near Shell Point and Sanibel.
The district report also noted that stormwater treatment areas received about 100 acre-feet of Lake Okeechobee water during the week ending June 7, with roughly 6,200 acre-feet delivered so far in the current water year.
In the Everglades, water levels continue to show mixed conditions, with some areas above average and others below. The report said dry conditions have contributed to limited wading bird activity, with wood storks abandoning nests systemwide and nesting effort described as among the lowest in the past 30 years.
The agency noted that no active fires were reported in the Everglades Protection Area after a period of wildfire activity earlier in the season.
Overall, the district said total rainfall across the region is expected to remain below long-term averages for the week ending next Tuesday morning, despite short-term increases in storm coverage in some areas.