Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
Quarterly Environmental Monitoring Summary
July 1 through September 30, 2004
On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley ripped through the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program area. It made landfall at the barrier island of Cayo Costa. The eye passed over Bokeelia, Punta Gorda, Arcadia, Wauchula, and Bartow. Every community in the study area had damage and some had deaths as a result of Charley. We praise the hard work of thousands of concerned elected officials, citizens, and professionals that resulted in fewer disasters as a result of the storm. Over many decades, many individuals worked to protect mangrove, marshes and uplands around the harbor. Because nobody built in these high hazard zones, destruction was greatly reduced. Florida Power and Light (FPL) changed to natural gas, removing the oil tanks from near Boca Grande Pass. The tragedy of Hurricane Charley, however, was compounded as Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne crossed the northern portion of the study area. As neighbors help neighbors through these tragedy, the scientific community banded together to help one another.
The wet season was late, with a dry early summer. However, the violent hurricane season which followed increased water flows,
Water Flows:
| Peace River Basin | Low until August 13 then High |
| Myakka River | Low until August 1 then High |
| Caloosahatchee | Low (late wet season but moderate summer flows) |
| Estero Tributaries | Low until August 1 then High |
Water flows were uniformly low until the mid-August with the appearance of an intense hurricane season. With Hurricanes Charley, Jeanne, and Frances, along with the accompanying summer wet season, water flows were higher than average. Water flows for the season can be considered more erratic than normal.
March - May Water Quality:
| Charlotte Harbor Proper/Lemon Bay | |
| Temperature | Normal |
| Salinity | Lower than normal after mid-August |
| Color | Much higher than normal after mid-August |
| Chlorophyll a | Higher than normal. Unusually high discharge from Tippicanoe Creek in August and from Pirate Harbor vicinity in September, both exceeding state standards. |
| Total Nitrogen | Higher than normal. September was extremely high. |
| Phosphorous | Higher than normal. September was extremely high. |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Worse than normal. Eastern Charlotte Harbor in September below state standards. |
| Near Bottom Dissolved Oxygen | Stressed. Hypoxic in September. |
| Secchi Depth | Worse than Normal. Very bad in September. |
| Turbidity | Worse than Normal. Peace River very bad in August. Charlotte Harbor very bad in September. |
Water quality reflects both the high water flow conditions and effects from the hurricane season. Water quality degraded quickly from July to August with some of the worst conditions recorded in September. A new pass was formed in North Captiva Island as a result of Hurricane Charley. This will probably result in higher salinities, elevated mercury levels, and lower bacteria levels in western Pine Island.
Habitat:
| Red Tide | Not present |
| Fish Kills | 1 in July, 5 in August (high occurrence) |
| Fish Lesions | None |
| Other kills | 2 manatee in July and 1 in August (high) |
| Sewage Spills | None |
| Shellfishing | Open in Western Pine Island Sound, East Pine Island Sound, and Gasparilla Sound. Closed in Lemon Bay and Closed for the Season in the Myakka River. |
| Seagrasses | Stable totals of seagrass in Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay. 2003 map from South Florida Water Management District is close to being distributed. |
Habitat indicators for the study area exhibited stresses. Hurricane Charley resulted in fish kills associated with poor water quality. 3 manatee mortalities were reported through the summer. Red Tide was not present in samples taken. Seagrasses within the northern portion of the study area have been found to be stable. Analysis is still being conducted for the southern portion of the study area.