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Last updated: February 03, 2012

Northwest District - Choctawhatchee Bay Water Quality Report Northwest District -Choctawhatchee Bay Water Quality Report


Choctawhatchee Bay Water Quality Report

The Northwest District Florida Department of Environmental Protection Watershed Management Section partners with the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioner's Environmental Council (OCEC) in a monthly water quality report for Choctawhatchee Bay sponsored by the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council. Water quality samples are collected by the OCEC Aqualab Volunteers and are presented here for informational use only.

The map below depicts OCEC's Aqualab sampling sites for Choctawhatchee Bay in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Related Information:

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program

Basin 3 (Choctawhatchee Bay/St.Andrews Bay) Impaired Waters List

Water Quality Report Keywords

Okaloosa County Environmental Council
DEP Exit Disclaimer Link

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program DEP Exit Disclaimer Link

Red Tide Status Report  DEP Exit Disclaimer Link

Development of Numeric Nutrient Criteria for Florida's Waters

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-Impacted Beaches

 

Aqualab Water Quality Monitoring Station Map
         *Reported value between Practical Quantitation Limit (PQL) and Minimum Detection Limit (MDL) and considered an estimated value. Different PQL levels may be reported for different test batches. Field observations reflect surface water conditions and samples are taken in flowing water below the water's surface.

Sample
Date

12/11/11

Location
Water
Body

Water Temp
(°F)

Dissolved
Oxygen

(Estimate)


Salinity
(PPT)

Total
Nitrogen

(PPM)
   

Total
Phosphorous

(PPM)


Field Notes

1

Liza Jackson
Park

54°F

7.0 PPM

28.7

0.18*

0.01*

None

2

Brooks Bridge

52°F

5.0 PPM

28.6

0.19*

0.022*

None

3

Cinco Bayou

52°F

4.0 PPM

28.3

0.19*

Not
Detected

None

4

Garnier Bayou

59°F

NT

29.7

Not
Detected

0.01*

None

5

Okaloosa Island

47°F

4.0 PPM

29.0

0.019*

0.01*

Dead
Jellyfish

6

Boggy Bayou

59°F

5.0 PPM

26.9

0.11

0.01* 

TKN Not Detected

7

Rocky Bayou

64°F

8.0 PPM

22.4

0.04

0.01*

TKN Not Detected

8

White Point

51°F

4.0 PPM

28.8

0.29*

0.015*

None

9

Regatta Bay

46°F

4.0 PPM

28.9

0.21*

0.01*

None

10

 Mullet Creek
Mouth of Bay

53°F

5.0 PPM

22.2

0.22*

0.02*

None

11

Turkey Creek

52°F

7.0 PPM

0.0

0.20*

Not
Detected

None

12

North of Mack Bayou
 

49°F

8.0 PPM

27.4

NR

NR

None

13

Hogtown Bayou

55°F

8.0 PPM

27.8

0.28*

0.017*

None

14

La Grange Bayou

52°F

6.0 PPM

21.7

0.24*

0.018*

None

15

Bay@ US 331 Bridge

NR

5.0 PPM

25.6

0.29*

0.018*

None

16

Tucker Bayou

52°F

9.0 PPM

15.7

0.46*

0.016*

None

17

East Pass Marina

57°F

4.0 PPM

30.2

0.31*

0.034

None

18

Old Pass Lagoon

52°F

4.0 PPM

29.7

0.33*

0.067

None

19

Alaqua Bayou

54°F

5.0 PPM

24.1 

0.18*

0.016*

None

20

Joe's Bayou

53°F

4.0 PPM

28.6

0.24*

0.013*

None

22

Garnier Bayou @
Longwood Park

53°F

4.0 PPM

27.9

0.31*

0.01*

None

Disclaimer: This report is provided for informational use only. For current advisories or additional information, direct contact with the appropriate Department representative should be made in matters that require confirmation to the intent or currency of the information presented.
For current open/closed status of shellfish harvesting areas, contact the Division of Aquaculture Shellfish Information Hotline (1-850-747-5252). 

NT=Sample not taken. NR=Not Reported

                                                                 


Water Quality Report Keywords

Salinity- Salinity is a measurement of the salt content in water and is usually expressed in Parts Per Thousand (PPT). Seawater has about 35 parts of salt per 1000 parts of water. Drinking water is less than 0.5 PPT. Salinity levels control the types of plants and animals that live in the different zones of the estuary.

Nutrients- Nutrients, which include ammonia, phosphorus, total kjeldahl nitrogen TKN), nitrite and nitrate are chemicals required by plants for maintenance and growth. Nitrogen and phosphorus along with water temperature and sunlight control phytoplankton abundance. Although nutrients are essential for the growth of an estuary's plants, an excess may trigger a string of events that depletes dissolved oxygen in the water. Total Nitrogen is the sum of NO2 + NO3 + TKN.

For more information regarding nutrients, see http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wqssp/nutrients/

Dissolved Oxygen- Dissolved oxygen is an essential indicator in assessing an estuary’s health. Oxygen enters the water from the atmosphere and through aquatic plant and phytoplankton photosynthesis. The oxygen is then available for aquatic organisms to utilize in basic metabolic processes. Most plants and animals can grow and do well when the dissolved oxygen level exceeds 5 mg/l.  Levels below 3 mg/l causes stress and/or death in many species. Oxygen is used up during the decomposition of organic material. An overload of nutrients from human activities cause overgrowth of phytoplankton. The phytoplankton ultimately die and fall to the bottom where they decompose, using up oxygen. The dissolved oxygen test performed by Aqualab field representatives represents an estimate of the oxygen available at the time of water quality sampling.

Water Temperature- The temperature of the water at the time of sampling is routinely documented and reported during water quality monitoring. Water temperature influences biological and chemical processes, affects local and migrant aquatic species and is a major factor in biological activity and growth. As temperature increases, the water's ability to retain oxygen is lowered which decreases levels of dissolved oxygen available to aquatic organisms, as well as increasing oxygen demands by stimulating biological growth. Ambient water temperatures affect what aquatic species live in what water and sudden changes may cause mortality.

Field Notes - Field observations which may include the presence of seaweed, algae, stingrays and jellyfish, or Fish Kills.


For more information, questions or data confirmation, please contact:

cheryl.bunch@dep.state.fl.us