Today I share recent photos of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon taken by my husband, Ed, yesterday, April 24, at 2:30pm. The water remains a lovey shade of turquoise blue but there is a visible plume exiting south of the St Lucie Inlet. As there has been no documented discharges from C-23, C-24, C-44, or Lake Okeechobee of late, this must be the effect of recent rains and local runoff.
I am also sharing the SFWMD’s weather site; it is full of information, including scientific predictions. You can access through this link here or type in “SFWMD weather” as a search. As June approaches it is very important for us to keep our eye on rains and weather systems that will affect the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee’s level.
As we know the St Lucie was once just a small river running in to the longer Indian River Lagoon, but the today she is connected to canals and Lake Okeechobee and it is killing her. The state and federal government are well funded and continue working to improve the situation every day. We too can help: Don’t fertilize! Plant your yard with native and Florida Friendly plants. Conserve water! It’s simple, like they said in the old days,“give a hoot, don’t pollute!”
-Peck’s Lake of Jupiter Narrows and Atlantic Ocean -visible plume but water still pretty. Happy sailing! 
-Below: St Lucie Inlet -one can see small plume from local runoff. The water near the St Lucie Inlet and offshore still looks good. There have been no major discharges in three years. Nonetheless seagrass is not lush and there is a UME for manatees in the IRL. We all must work for better water quality. 
SFWMD canal and basin map. C-44 canal, attached to Lake Okeechobee, is the canal “most southerly” in the image.
Jacqui, when your dad and I were in high school, the river was still clear. Millions of mullet were in the river and when they were disturbed by Jacks And got up and ran, you could hear the roar all over Stuart. In the spring, big snook came in to feed on eels, of all things, and the kids caught a lot of them. We used to drive up to the locks, headed toward Okeechobee, and catch tarpon and occasionally a shark that was up there. Tarpon are probably not at the locks anymore. The big difference it appears is the amount of nutrients and other chemicals in the water coming out of the lake. And I’m very concerned about our huge loss of manatee.
Dear Henry, these first hand accounts of how it was in the St Luice are priceless. Sad that things have deteriorated so but we must rememberer what was and what can be. I agree with your assessment completely. Thank you so much. I miss my dad so.