These special "monthly salnity maps" were prepared for the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).

The maps were produced using a general interpolation method known as IDW, or inverse distance weighted. Given data collected or calculated for locations indicated by the dots on this map, a computer program estimates the values at all locations between stations. These popints represent fixed stations sampled by the four monitoring programs listed below.

+ Gasparilla Sound and Lemon Bay from FDEP CHAP volunteer monitoring program known as CHVWQMN, coordinated by J. Ott and M. Schneider, using various start dates between 1996 and 1998, and data through 2005. These are the stations west of Cape Haze and north of the Charlotte/Lee county line. The station on the mainland, just south of the county line, also belongs to this program.

+ Upper Charlotte Harbor data are from the SWFWMD fixed station monitoring, 1993-2000. These include the open water station directly south from Cape Haze, and all Charlotte Harbor stations north of the Lee/Charlotte county line, to the Peace and Myakka rivers. Data were provided by R. Starkes and C. Wolden, SWFWMD/ERD.

+ Estero Bay, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, and San Carlos Bay data are from Lee County's fixed-station monitoring program, various start dates between 1991 and 1996, data through 2006. Data provided by K. Kibbey, Lee County Environmental. These stations represent data from Punta Rassa to approximately the Charlotte/Lee county line, plus Estero Bay.

+ The Caloosahatchee River is represented by the CESWQ sampling program (SFWMD), and data included here were collected from 2001-2005. Data were downloaded from the DBHYDRO section of SFWMD's website. Includes stations upstream from Punta Rassa.

Mean monthly salinity data for each location visited during the dates listed above were included in the interpolation process, and the intervals assigned for display correspond to salinity 0 - 0.5, 5-18, 18-32, and >32 ppt. For more information on IDW, the datasets, or the data used in these maps, please contact us at CHEC.