Category Archives: aerial photos

Ed’s Aerial Update 61 Days After Discharges begin

Documenting the Discharges– 2023- St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Date: Friday, March 24, 2023

Around 4:00 pm

Pilot/photographer: Ed Lippisch

Discharge Updates: eyeonlakeo.com

Location: St Lucie Inlet, Sailfish Flats, Atlantic Ocean

Tide: Mid

-Ball of fish in ocean -pretty cool!

S-308 at Port Mayaca eyeonlakeo.com showing “pulsing” 500 cfs average ACOE

II.

Documenting the Seagrass

Date March 24, 2023

Around 5:00 pm

Boater/photographer: Mary Radabaugh (Thank you Mary!)

Location: Sandbar area near St Lucie Inlet between Sewall’s Point and Hutchinson Island

III.

Extra aerial: Ed Lippisch 3-24-23 around 4:30 pm JUPITER INLET w/ rain plume

Ed’s Aerial Update SLR -48 days after discharges began

Due to cyanobacteria sightings and thoughtful decisions of Col. Booth, the ACOE has been “off and on” discharging an average of 500 cubic feet per second to the St Lucie River from Lake Okeechobee (15.06 ft).

Today’s aerials show the St Lucie River and Port Mayaca at Lake Okeechobee on March 11 about two hours after high tide around 1:30 pm. Discharges began January 22, 2023. ~Ed and I continue to document the discharges with the hope that they will be halted as algae is present, visible or invisible, having bloomed early (February) in Lake Okeechobee.

I. TCPalm article “ACOE Starts Discharges to SLR for 3rd Time”

II. ACOE power point “Periodic_Scientists_Call”_2023-03-14

III. Follow along via “eyeonlakeo.com”- yellow in banner shows when gates are open, website via TT3

AERIALS

PORT MAYACA, LAKE OKEECHOBEE, S-308, Ed Lippisch (no visible algae/blue water)

ST LUCIE RIVER/INDIAN RIVER LAGOON, ST LUCIE INLET, SAILFISH FALTS, SEWALL’ POINT, HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Ed Lippisch (no visible seagrass)

Back to Lake Okeechobee, Ed Lippisch

Lake Okeechobee report SFWMD 3-24-23

Ed’s Aerial Update 41 minus 2 days after the discharges, SLR

Sailfish Flats devoid of visible seagrass

My husband Ed took these aerials yesterday March 4, 2023 around 11am. He described it as a “mid tide” between high and low. Also swinging by Port Mayaca, at Lake Okeechobee, this time there was no visible algae.

Following Ed’s aerials I am including those of Dr. Scott Kuhns whose photographs taken on February 27, 2023 around 10am showing streaks of algae caused the ACOE to close gate S-308 at Port Mayaca for about 2 1/2 days. Kudos to Dr Kuhns! And thank you to the ACOE for closing!

So the pictures directly below are Ed’s 3-4-23 and those following are Scott’s 2-27-23. We will continue to document the discharges with hopes they will be halted. We all agree that St Lucie River suffers under the discharges. She was taking water to avoid algae in summer. No one thought algae sightings would begin so early in February, but they have. With this discovery, it is time to 🛑 stop! Cyanobacteria is impossible to 100% track and understand. It is too ancient and will outsmart us every time. Close the locks.

Sky River Warriors since 2013. Pilots & friends Dr Ed Lippisch & Dr Scott Kuhns. This photo was taken by JTL in 2016.

February 27 by Dr Scott Kuhns. This photo caused the ACOE to close S308 for two and one half days.

Ed’s Aerial Report 33 days after discharges begin 500 cfs, SLR

Documenting the Discharges 2023 -St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Eyeonlakeo.com resource guide to all things SLR

ACOE decision to begin lake o discharges to SRL

These aerial photographs were taken by my husband, Ed Lippisch, on Friday, February 24, 2023 around 1:51 pm during high tide. It was a beautiful day and many boats were fishing over the nearshore reefs. The 500 cubic feet per second discharges are much less noticeable at high tide; the visual loss of seagrass remains. I am sharing all photographs -many are very similar, you can look for small differences.

Please see slides from ACOE Periodic Scientist Call on 2-21-23 for updates on Lake Okeechobee level, red tide on west coast, east coast conditions, and other important information. Periodic_Scientists_Call_2023-02-21

With the hot, dry weather the last few days Lake Okeechobee’s evaporation should be high. Today the SFWMD reported the lake at 15.61 feet. You can see the ecological envelope band in gray below.

On Friday there was a waring from the Martin County Health Department of an algae bloom at S-308 at Port Mayaca on the canal side as the Department of Environmental Protection reported this observation from 2-22-23.

Ed and I continue to document the discharges.

JTL

Ed’s Aerial Report 24 days after discharges begin 500 cfs, SLR

~Ed’s Aerial Report 24 days after discharges begin at 500 cfs via ACOE from Lake Okeechobee to SLR/IRL. Documenting the Discharges.

My husband Ed Lippisch has asked me to get these photos on-line ASAP. They were taken of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon area around Sewall’s Point, yesterday, February 15, 2023 around 1:25pm. It was an incoming tide about two hours after low tide. I do not have time to go through all the photos so I am sharing all of them. Many are almost identical. Color doesn’t look great. No seagrasses visible. Salinity remains in range according to FDEP. See my brother Todd’s website EyeonLakeO.com for more information.