Visibility in South Florida

[scuba5150]

I have heard that the ocean visibility in South Florida (Fort Lauderdale north to Jupiter) can be adversely affected by the release of fresh water from the numerous canals that provide flood control. I’ve heard that the volume of water released “stirs things up” sediment-wise and that the fertilizer in the water flushed into the ocean promotes algae bloom – both contributing to decreased viz. This is supposed to be even worse with the dumping of very fertilizer rich water from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River north of Jupiter.

My questions about this are:

1. Does fresh water dumping from the flood control canals really affect the viz?
2. How long would the effect last?
3. Is there a way of knowing what canals are dumping water on any given day to decide what area to avoid and for how long?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

[sheeper]

This is actually an area that is highly debated. the answers from my perspective as someone who dives a heck of a lot is:
1) Yes
2) it varies
3) not really

and the freshwater dumping also impacts the salinity of the ocean in those areas and has a negative impact on sea life.

 

[grantwiscour]

We've always enjoyed diving around FLL. Never had a viz issue but I guess it could happen. We're used to diving mud holes in Texas so if viz is over 25' we are happy. Viz is usually much greater though.

 

[djtimmy77]

3) SFWMD lists canals and discharge rates. It takes some decoding (additional internet searching) to know what canal name corresponds to what location. I used this data last fall to add to my predictions of visibility for BHB, and will likely need to do so again as the rain is picking back up.

Here is a link:

http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/pls/portal/realtime.pkg_rr.proc_rr?p_op=COASTAL

 

[scuba5150]

3) SFWMD lists canals and discharge rates. It takes some decoding (additional internet searching) to know what canal name corresponds to what location. I used this data last fall to add to my predictions of visibility for BHB, and will likely need to do so again as the rain is picking back up.

Here is a link:

http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/pls/portal/realtime.pkg_rr.proc_rr?p_op=COASTAL

Thanks very much! I tried looking at the SFWMD website before posting but I couldn't drill down to find information such as you linked to - nicely done to cut through their opaque website!

 

[wspalding]

I dove Lemon Drop today and vis was as good as I could ever remember. Could see clearly down to the reef from near the surface during my safety stop.


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[Johnoly]

On the gate openings, 1 foot is not much. But if you see all 3 gates at S155 open at 9 foot, we're toast for viz until a few days after they shut it. It would be safe to say that the gatekeepers don't dive. The best way is to stay in contact with your boat captain(s) who are diving it every day.

3) SFWMD lists canals and discharge rates.

I was using a different report from SFWMD to check S40, S41, & S155 which are the ones that affect WPB/JUP the most. But your link is MUCH BETTER !! Add my thanks too djtimmy77 for a much better report !!

 

[PatW]

They usually dump the water in the late rainy season say from late July through early October. As mentioned, they don't ask our permission. They just do it.

 

[wspalding]

They usually dump the water in the late rainy season say from late July through early October. As mentioned, they don't ask our permission. They just do it.

They dumped the day of my last dive last week and viz was cut in half.


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[Aquanutuw]

The water dumping was to be channeled to the Everglades due to drought conditions at the start of this year.
Went out with Parrot Island scuba last Monday. Vis was 100 foot plus on the reefs and 60-70 feet on the deeper wrecks.
Howard Ratsch Images | 7/21/14 Capt. Dan, RSB 1 and Reef photos
Link to Parrot Island
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