Aerial Documentation Destructive Discharges into the the SLR/IRL, 6-15-16

As many of us have read in Ed Killer’ excellent TCPalm article, the discharges from Lake Okeechobee have surpassed the level of 2013, the “Lost Summer.” As my husband Ed and I go up fairly regularly in the Cub, I will attempt to share shorter more frequent posts with more aerial photos of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon in order to document this year’s continued destruction.

This destruction is not expected to stop anytime soon as Lake Okeechobee yesterday was reported at 14.77–very high for hurricane season. Last year,  on 6-10-15, the lake stood at a “comfortable” 12.58. As we know, the entire reason we are being dumped on is because the water cannot go south as Mother Nature intended.

The photos below were taken 6-15-16.  The ACOE has been releasing since January 29th, 2016. Today is June 17th, 2016. All charts below showing basin water inputs of area agricultural canals and tidal runoff are courtesy of the South Florida Water Management District and Army Corp of Engineers’ Periodic Scientists Call.

Aerial photos taken by Ed Lippisch at the confluence of the St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon around Sewall’s Point, Sailfish Point, Manatee Pocket and St Lucie Inlet 6-15-16, formerly the richest seagrass beds in the county as well as North America.

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All aerials in the area of Sewall's Point and Sailfish Point by Ed Lippisch, 6-15-16.
All aerials in the area of Sewall’s Point and Sailfish Point by Ed Lippisch, 6-15-16.

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ACOE Lake O level: http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml

(Good article on subject: Ed Killer’s Stuart News/TCPalm article:http://www.tcpalm.com/news/indian-river-lagoon/health/ed-killer-2016-discharges-surpass-2013s-deluge-of-dirty-water-35576244-a286-76f6-e053-0100007fcae3-383204831.html)

2 thoughts on “Aerial Documentation Destructive Discharges into the the SLR/IRL, 6-15-16”

  1. Dear Jacqui,

    Timing is everything. Yesterday when the 2013 discharges were equalled by the current 2016 discharges , I was in a boat in the inlet on the outgoing tide. The brownish yellow, foam filled discharge was pouring out to the Atlantic. In fact, the surface waters were brownish up to 4 miles out from shore. They extended both north and south of the inlet. What I realized is that so much dirty sediment laden, highly concentrated phosphorus and nitrogen compounds have entered the ocean that they now have formed a phytoplankton bloom. Perhaps you and Ed may be able to scope the size of the current discharges on the ocean from the plane. I would not be surprised if the surface discoloration extended over many square miles. Joe Gilio

    Reply

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