St. Lucie River/IRL at Low Tide during 2026 Drought

SLR/IRL looking north. Ed Lippisch, 3-26-26

These aerial photographs of the confluence of the St. Lucie and Indian River Lagoon were taken on March 26, 2026 by my husband, Ed Lippisch. I wanted to share on by blog post to document what the water looks like during low tide and during a drought. The time was around 11:45; approximately an hour after the lowest of low tide.

There has been more rain in our region than in other parts of the state, nonetheless there have been no release from Lake Okeechobee in over a year. You’ll notice the Sandbar’s returning sea grasses, nothing like those up to my hips as Is walked through as a young girl fifty years ago, but certainly much better than the horrible years of 2013, 2016, and 2018 when the river was a toxic mess and grasses could find no light thus withered.

Ed and I are grateful for the new lake operations schedule LOSOM and that the St. Lucie has been spared of late, but our hearts go out those suffering from not enough water. This includes the bird rookeries deep in the Everglades. Really returning to a River of Grass, now wouldn’t that be something….

If you want to know anything at all see my brother Todd’s website: eyeonlakeo.com!

~AERIALS

SLR/IRL around peninsula of Sewall’s Point, Hutchinson Island inside the Atlantic Ocean