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CAPE CORAL WATER QUALITY WY ’17

WATER QUALITY

MONITORING SUMMARY

WY ’17

RELEASED DECEMBER 2017

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES DIVISION

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

CITY OF CAPE CORAL

CAPE CORAL MONITORING SUMMARY

WY ’17

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This summary is based on the twenty-sixth year of water quality data (WY-17) in the Environmental Resources Division’s water quality monitoring program. Overall water quality in the city remained steady during this sampling period as compared to the previous year. By comparison with state indices, water quality is good in all systems.

Potential problems were noted in both fresh and salt water canals with turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen, fecal streptococcus, fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, (DO) chlorophyll A and pH. For the saltwater canals, these problems are partially caused by runoff from the general river basin, which is the source of water to Cape Coral. Areas of high development and increased population within the city also affect both freshwater and saltwater canals.

CAPE CORAL MONITORING SUMMARY

WY ’17

INTRODUCTION

The Environmental Resources Division (ERD) of the Public Works Department of the City of Cape Coral conducts routine monitoring of aquatic systems in the City. This report summarizes the findings from October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017 (Water Year 2017). Figure 1. shows the locations of the main regular sampling stations for which monthly sampling has been conducted. Appendix Table 1. describes these sampling stations. The full set of data on which this report is based is on file at the office of the ERD in Cape Coral.

The water quality characteristics routinely measured at each station are listed in Table 1. along with the frequency and the applicable Florida water quality standards. Laboratory analyses were provided by the Chemistry Group of the Cape Coral Water Reclamation Plant and by staff of ERS. Staff members of ERD collected field instrument data. All methods followed APHA, 1989.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Tables 2A and 2B summarize statistics for all regular water quality samples taken during the sampling period October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017. For clarity in interpretation, data were separated into freshwater and saltwater.

DO numbers made up 43% of the Class II water quality standards outliers. Fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus numbers made up 18% each of these outliers (Table 3).

Station 310 had violations in eight areas and station 262 had outliers in seven areas. Both these stations are in highly populated freshwater systems. Stations 295 and 390 had outliers in six areas and are also in highly populated freshwater systems. Station 510 also had outliers in six areas, and is located just north of Bimini Basin at the southern terminus of a large saltwater system and is constrained by large pipes, limiting water flow.

The State of Florida (Hand et al. 1988) developed a water quality index for streams based on water clarity, dissolved oxygen, oxygen demand, bacteria, nutrients and biological diversity. ERD calculated a similar index based on all of the 6 factors except biological diversity (for which information is presently inadequate). Because the State index is a simple arithmetic average, it is reasonable to compare the Cape Coral index with it. Table 4. gives the calculated indices for the main aquatic system types of Cape Coral.

The overall average for the Cape Coral systems was 42. According to this index, Cape Coral water quality is good. (The state range for “good” is 0 to 45; fair is 45-60; poor is 60-100). Overall water quality has remained steady as compared to the previous year. (Table 4).

TABLE 1. MONITORING FACTORS

FACTOR

SAMPLING

FLORIDA

FREQUENCY

STANDARD

Dissolved oxygen

Monthly

>4 mg/l

Temperature

Monthly

NA

pH

Monthly

>6.0 <8.5

Conductivity & Salinity

Monthly

<1275 or 50% >background

Turbidity

Monthly

<29 NTU > background

Total Suspended Solids

Monthly

<18

Nitrate Nitrogen

Monthly

<10 mg/l

Nitrite Nitrogen

Monthly

<10 mg/l

Total Nitrogen

Monthly

< 2.0 mg/l

Ortho-phosphorous

Monthly

<0.1 mg/l

Total Phosphorous

Monthly

< 0.46 mg/l

Secchi Disk Depth

Monthly

>0.6 M

Fecal Coliforms

Monthly

<200/100 ml

Fecal Streptococcus

Monthly

<33/100 ml

Chlorophyll a

Monthly

< 10 ug/l

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Monthly

<3.3 mg/l

TABLE 2A: FRESHWATER MONITORING DATA SUMMARY

WY ‘2017

FACTOR

UNITS

MEAN

STD. DEV.

MIN.

MAX.

#

TEMPERATURE

DEG. C

26.07

3.70

16.09

32.29

506

DISSOLVED O2

MG/L

6.42

2.27

0.00

10.88

506

pH

STD. UNITS

7.77

0.38

6.58

8.71

506

CONDUCT.

MS/CM

0.588

0.276

0.190

6.003

505

TURBIDITY

NTU

3.21

4.40

0.01

59.40

410

SECCHI DEPTH

M

1.03

0.46

0.10

2.60

186

NITRATE N

MG/L

0.029

0.018

0.025

0.320

417

NITRITE N

MG/L

0.027

0.009

0.025

0.150

410

AMMONIA N

MG/L

0.077

0.082

0.050

0.800

400

KJEHDAHL N

MG/L

0.308

0.501

0.050

8.800

404

ORGANIC N

MG/L

0.238

0.507

0.000

8.750

395

TOTAL N

MG/L

0.056

0.020

0.050

0.345

409

TDS

MG/L

445.9

1856.0

3

24348

416

TSS

MG/L

7.003

12.616

0.300

174.500

414

TOTAL P

MG/L

0.029

0.037

0.010

0.560

411

FECAL STREP

CFU’S/100 ML

34.8

79.3

0

888

192

FECAL COLIFORMS

CFU’S/100 ML

262.1

341.9

1

888

189

CHL A

uG/L

1.70

3.28

0.1

19.3

192

5 DAY BOD

MG/L

1.48

0.88

1.0

6.4

417

TABLE 2B: SALTWATER MONITORING DATA SUMMARY

WY ‘2017

FACTOR

UNITS

MEAN

STD.DEV.

MIN.

MAX.

#

TEMPERATURE

DEG. C

26.49

3.61

16.59

32.53

704

DISSOLVED O2

MG/L

5.65

2.03

0.00

10.88

674

pH

STD. UNITS

7.67

0.25

6.77

8.39

704

CONDUCT.

MS/CM

17.065

13.898

0.284

48.700

704

TURBIDITY

NTU

2.34

2.57

0.01

22.50

425

SECCHI DEPTH

M

1.26

0.50

0.13

3.10

246

NITRATE N

MG/L

0.035

0.038

0.025

0.550

430

NITRITE N

MG/L

0.027

0.008

0.025

0.070

424

AMMONIA N

MG/L

0.073

0.059

0.050

0.500

420

KJELDAHL N

MG/L

0.243

0.197

0.050

1.100

405

ORGANIC N

MG/L

0.171

0.190

0.000

1.050

405

TOTAL N

MG/L

0.207

0.206

0.025

1.100

431

TDS

MG/L

8274.3

7052.2

6

23878

431

TSS

MG/L

7.16

7.82

0.5

76.5

430

TOTAL P

MG/L

0.056

0.041

0.010

0.260

431

FECAL STREP

CFU’S/100 ML

28.7

76.5

0

888

170

FECAL COLIFORMS

CFU’S/100 ML

129.5

257.7

0

888

172

CHL A

uG/L

1.45

2.85

0.1

22.1

178

5 DAY BOD

MG/L

1.48

0.96

1.0

8.0

429

TABLE 3. DEVIATIONS FROM STATE STANDARDS

WY ‘2017

AT FRESHWATER STATIONS

AT SALTWATER STATIONS

FACTORS

FREQUENCY

STATIONS

FREQUENCY

STATIONS

TURBIDITY

5

190,290,310,

2

435

390

TSS

13

160,190,210,

25

130,242,271,

262,290,295,

315,350,400,

300,310,355,

430,470,510,

390

511,540,600

BOD

19

110,243,262,

13

271,430,435,

295,300,390

442,510,550,

590

TN

2

280,310

NA

STREP

50

105,110,129,

36

120,130,242,

160,190,210,

315,350,400,

243,262,275,

430,435,442,

280,290,295,

470,510,511,

300,310,355,

540,550,590

390

COLI

57

105,110,129,

31

130,242,271,

160,190,210,

315,350,400,

243,262,275,

430,442,470,

280,290,295,

510,511,600

300,310,355,

390

DO

67

105,110,129,

142

120,130,150,

160,190,210,

242,271,315,

243,262,275,

350,400,430,

290,295,300,

435,442,445,

310,355

450,455,470,

510,511,540,

550,570,580,

590,600

CHL A

10

105,110,210,

6

120,242,400,

262,275,280,

470,510,590

295,310,355,

390

pH

3

262

NA

TABLE 4. WATER QUALITY INDICES FOR CAPE CORAL

WY ‘2017

SYSTEM TYPE

INDEX VALUE

FRESHWATER

41.56

Good 0-45

SALTWATER

42.54

Fair 45-60

RIVER

43.25

Poor 60-90

OVERALL

42.45

Note: index based on Hand et al. (1988).

Low values better than high.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

ERD continued to monitor 22 water quality factors at 39 locations in the vicinity of Cape Coral during Water Year 2017. Based on these observations and comparisons with Florida water quality indices, the overall water quality of Cape Coral sampling stations was fair, and in comparison to previous years had remained steady.

The recommendations for improvement of these conditions continue to include the following:

1) Lobby for drainage basin improvements in the Caloosahatchee River upstream of Cape Coral. The saltwater canals of Cape Coral cannot be much better than the water that they receive from adjacent and upstream areas.

2) Encourage the use of best management practices, BMP’s, in all areas of the Cape. Emphasize BMP’s dealing with fertilizing of lawns and gardens, pesticide applications, the installation of barrier strips of vegetation to intercept runoff along waterways and enforce and improve existing erosion control ordinances.

3) In some of the deeper canals, dissolved oxygen violations are consistently occurring. Addition of hard substrate on the bottom would lead to increased mixing and could alleviate some of these violations.

Literature Cited

APHA, 1989.

Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater 17th Edition. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC 20005.

Hand, J., V. Tauxe and M. Friedman, 1988.

1988 Florida Water Quality Assessment 305(b) Technical Appendix. Standards and Monitoring Section, Bureau of Surface Water Management, Division of Water Management, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Tallahassee, FL.

APPENDIX TABLE 1

Regular Sampling Station List February, 2012

Sta.# Code Description and Synonyms

105 FACNE Gator Slough at Garden Blvd. Bridge, north of NE 43rd Lane

110 FAWNE Gator Slough above Weir 19 at Andalusia, drains headlands of NE

Cape Coral.

120 SACNW North Spreader at junction with Laguna Lake N of Kismet. Drains NW

corner of Cape. = MNS4.

129 FAWNW Gator Slough above Weir 11 at Burnt Store Rd.. Drains mid section of

slough.

130 SAWNW Gator Slough below Weir 11 at Burnt Store Rd.. Drains mid section of

slough. =MNGS.

150 SICNW North Spreader W of Old Burnt Store Rd., N of NW 16th Terr. jct. with

Gator Slough and Wray Canal =MNS6.

160 FAWNW Horseshoe Canal at Burnt Store Rd. N of Diplomat above Weir 13.

190 FAWNW Hermosa Canal above Weir 14, Burnt Store Rd. at NW 9th St.

210 FACNE Head of Meade Canal at Cleveland Canal, S of 6th St., E of 19th Ct.

=RM3.

242 SARNE Caloosahatchee River, NW of Caloosahatchee Bridge and McGregor

Blvd. intersection

243 FACNE Greene Canal at Hancock Bridge between NE 12th Ct and NE 13th

Ave; N side of Bridge.

262 FALSE Lake Manitoba center, 4th St and 18th Ave. = RMLM.

271 SACSW North Spreader W of Old Burnt Store Rd., N side of Ceitus Boat Lift

site.

275 FACSE Rachel Canal at Dual Water Pumphouse 8, West of Caloosa Middle

School.

280 FACSE Lake Saratoga outlet at SE 1st Pl between SE 5th St and SE 6th St.

=BF9.

290 FALSW Lake Kennedy, center. =BL2 =SC8.

295 FACSE Mackinac Canal at n side of SE 9th St bridge between SE 8th Pl and

St. Jock Blvd.

300 FACSE Meade Canal above Weir 3, Viscaya Pkwy. between SE 20th Ct. and

SE 21st Ave. =BF7.

310 FACSE Nicholas Canal, center of wide area between SE 3rd Ave and SE 4th

Ave. =SC7.

315 SACSE Industrial Park; jct. Rubicon & Honolulu Canals, SE 12th Terr at SE

13th AVE = BT1=RM6.

350 SARSW Caloosahatchee River, East of Chantry Canal, at marker DBN-R8.

=CR4.

355 FACSW Dual Water Pumphouse on Escapade Canal, 20th St SW.

390 FAWSE San Carlos Canal (or Retunda Canal N) above Weir 1. =SC6 =BF3.

400 SACSE Lido Canal at Del Prado Bridge, S of Shelby Pky.

430 SACSE San Carlos Basin, SE 1st Ave at 34th Terr. =SC4.

435 SACSW Shaughnessey Canal, Chiquita Boulevard at SW 28th Ter., SW.

442 SACSW Perch Canal, Savona Parkway at SW 17th Pl.

445 SICSW Maxine Canal at Surfside Blvd. Bridge near SW 28th Ave.

450 SICSW South Spreader,jct with SW 37th Terr. =SP-5.

455 SICSW Rose Canal at Oasis Blvd. Bridge near SW 41st ST.

470 SACSE Plato Canal, just W of Del Prado, S of 40th St. =RM9.

510 SACSE Rubicon Canal, south end, between 5th Ave. and 6th Ave at 47th St.

=RM8.

511 SACSE Bimini Basin Beach, Tarpon Ct, SW of Cape Coral Pkwy.

540 SACSE Bimini Canal jct. with San Carlos Canal; ca. 53rd Terr. near Sarasota

Ct. =SC1 =BL3.

550 SACSW South Spreader, SW corner, W end of El Dorado Pky. =SP4.

570 SICSW South Spreader at bend at Sagamore Pl. =SP3.

580 SICSW South Spreader at bend W of Peelinore Ct. =SP2.

590 SACSW South Spreader, W of Boat Lock. =SP1.

600 SACSW Casaba Canal jct. with its Southernmost branch along 58th Ln. =FB1.

DESCRIPTION CODES FOR SAMPLING SITES

DIGIT SYMBOL DESCRIPTION

1 F FRESHWATER

” S SALTWATER; SALINITY >0.1 PPT

2 A ALL ROUTINE PARAMETERS MEASURED

” I INSTRUMENT MEASUREMENTS ONLY MEASURED

” E EXCEPTIONAL – NOT A ROUTINE SAMPLING STATION

3 W WEIR

” C CANAL

” L LAKE

” R RIVER

” M MISCELLANEOUS OTHER (e.g. wetland, marsh, swamp etc.)

4&5 NW NW OF EMBERS-HANCOCK, SANTA BARBARA-JUANITA LINES

” NE NE OF EMBERS-HANCOCK, SANTA BARBARA LINES

” SW SW OF EMBERS-HANCOCK, SANTA BARBARA LINES

” SE SE OF EMBERS-HANCOCK, SANTA BARBARA

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Waterfront Homes in Cape Coral

With over one hundred square miles, Cape Coral is Florida’s second largest city in terms of land mass. That’s not the reason why so many residents and visitors call it paradise, though. Cape Coral is an exceptional and breathtaking city, with the unique feature of having more than 400 miles of salt and fresh water canals. That’s 400 beautiful miles of secluded and beautiful Cape Coral waterfront property. Often referred to as the Venice of America, Cape Coral certainly has all the makings of paradise and is the perfect retirement spot for the boater, beachgoer, or fishing fan.

Not everyone wants to live directly on the beach. Cape Coral’s canal properties offer the beauty and exclusiveness of waterfront life without the hectic beach traffic and living in a tourist trap. Most waterfront property in the Cape has the privacy and charm of a family oriented neighborhood, with the additional benefit of the wildlife and beauty of waterfront living.

Imagine watching the sunset while manatees play together right from the comfort of your own Cape Coral waterfront home. No wonder it’s called paradise.

Before purchasing your slice of Cape Coral paradise, there are a few choices you’ll need to be aware of:

Cape Coral Canals 101

When deciding on the perfect waterfront property, keep in mind that there are many different types of canals in Cape Coral, including saltwater canals, freshwater canals, preserves, intersecting canals, and some that offer Gulf access.

Gulf Access: If you are a boater, a Gulf access canal may be important to you. If so, keep in mind that some properties are a quick five minute trip to the river that leads to the Gulf of Mexico, while others may take an hour or more to arrive. The closer or further down river you are located, the more quickly you’ll be on the open waters and out of the 5 mile per hour “No Wake” speed restrictions. More choices to think of include:

Direct/Sailboat access: No bridges, locks or lifts to worry about. This is the least restrictive type of access and is quite important to the boat owner. If you own (or plan to buy) a sailboat, you’ll need to check out the waterway more thoroughly. Just because a listing is direct access does not mean that it is suitable for a sailboat. There are only a few areas in Cape Coral that truly have sailboat access, including proper water depth, and obstruction free. For a sailboat, you’ll want to be on a DEEP DIRECT ACCESS canal.

Freshwater: Many freshwater canals lead to a lake or even a chain of freshwater lakes. If you would rather steer clear of the ocean, choosing property on a freshwater canal may be ideal for you. Again, if you are a boater it is important to be aware of where your canal leads to. Although most do lead to beautiful lakes, there are a few canals that really don’t go anywhere that is suitable for a large boat. If your interests lie in bass fishing or canoeing, these winding canals still offer an excellent way to experience waterfront property at a lower overall price. Our realty team is familiar with the various waterways of Cape Coral and will be sure to steer you in the right direction, according to your needs.

Canal Widths: Along with freshwater or saltwater choices, our canals also come in different widths, which provide a variety of water views. Cape Coral canals range from 80 feet to over 200 feet in width. Some of the most beautiful also offer an intersecting view. The wider the canal, the better the view, so the wider canals are generally prices higher, as are the intersecting canals.

Investment Value: Of course any waterfront property will have a higher resale value than most other property in Cape Coral, but keep your choices in mind when considering the resale value of your canal location. A direct access property located closer to the mouth of the river will appreciate more quickly and appeal to more buyers in the long run.

My experience is here to help you make the wisest choice and to assist you with any questions you may have regarding Cape Coral waterfront property. Call me today. 239-699-2092

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*EMAIL* Capt Bob **HERE** with ANY QUESTIONS Bob@Stresslessrealty.com

Bob is a member of the Greater Fort Myers & the Beach board of Realtors, The Florida Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors.

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Cape Coral Boat Ramps

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Boat Ramps

 

ID LOCATION STATUS
0 northeast of 2632 NW 24TH ST, Eldorado & Gator Slough RG8
1 south of 1706 OLD BURNT STORE RD NORTH RG8
2 1129 NW 31st Pl., near Tropicana & Burnt Store Road RG8
3 NE of 1922 NW 21ST PL, east of Eldorado & Van Buren RG8
4 north of 2738 NW 6th St., SE of Burnt Store Rd & T RG8
5 Burnt Store Boat Ramp, north of Ceitus Parkway Cement
6 Burnt Store Road N & Ceitus Pkwy., north of Publix RG8
7 NW of Kismet & Santa Barbara, south of 337 NW 25th RG3
8 Cape Harbor Boat Ramp, south end of Chiquita Blvd. Cement
9 south of Seahawk Park, 2726 NW 10th Avenue RG3
10 SW of Kismet & Del Prado N, S of NE 12 Ave & NE 22 RG3
11 SE of Kismet & Del Prado N, north of 1904 NE 19TH RG3
12 NW of Tropicana & Anadalusia, north of 1124 NE 5TH RG4
13 Gator Circle & Durden, east of 2204 NE 44th Street RG4
14 Gator Circle & Durden, southeast of 1153 NE 44th Ln RG4
15 N of HBP & NE 24th Ave, west of 2119 NE 5TH TER RG3
16 NW of HBP & Del Prado N, east of 1422 NE 2ND TER RG3
17 SunSplash Boat Ramp, SW 3rd Pl & SW 4th Ter. Cement
18 BMX Park Boat Ramp, west of Skyline & Trafalgar Cement
19 NW of Skyline & Trafalgar, opposite 1328 SW 8TH CT  
20 SW of Chiquita & Veteran’s, opposite 2520 SW 17TH RG4
21 NE of Gleason & Skyline, south of 3110 SW 7TH PL RG4
22 Gleason west of Skyline, east of 913 GLEASON PKWY RG4
23 Lake Finnistere Boat Ramp, east of 4405 SW 13th Ave Cement
24 Yacht Club Boat Ramp, end of Driftwood Parkway Cement
25 Horton Park Boat Ramp, end of Everest Parkway Cement
26 SW of Cultural Park & Nicholas, east of 611 SE 13T RG4
27 NW of Skyline & Veteran’s, west of 2109 SW 8TH PL  
28 Chiquita Blvd. N and NW 8th Terrace, east side  
29 SW of Bolado & SE 24 Ave, west of 519 SE 23RD PL RG3
30 NW of Tropicana & Santa Barbara, S of 1163 NW 4TH RG8
31 Chantry Canal Boat Ramp, south end of SE 24th Ave. Cement