SCCF study shows need to reduce nutrient runoff from watershed

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that a new publication from its Marine Lab on nutrient sources and water management shows that Lake Okeechobee releases have a negative impact on downstream water quality, but water runoff from the local watershed has a greater negative effect.

The recently published peer-reviewed article discusses increases in nutrient concentrations related to watershed runoff and regulatory releases.

“We analyzed nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary (CRE), a waterway that receives released water from Lake Okeechobee to understand whether there were relationships between Lake Okeechobee water releases and nutrient concentrations in the CRE,” lab Director Dr. Eric Milbrandt said. “We found that released water had a negative impact on downstream water quality, but that water runoff from the surrounding land area, or the watershed, had a greater negative effect.”

The lead author is from North Carolina State University, with other co-authors from the University of Florida and University of South Florida. The article was featured in the March issue of Water Resources Research.