Good Morning from Florida's Indian River Lagoon
Good morning from Sebastian Saltwater Restaurant, Marina, and Lodge along Florida's Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian FL. Today is Wednesday October 11, 2026.
Welcome to today's Lagoon Life Report, where we explore the weather, wildlife, waterfront communities, parks, local food, and everyday moments that make life along the Indian River Lagoon so special.
Lagoon Conditions
Time: 10 AM
Air Temperature: 79 with a high of 81
Humidity: 72
Wind Direction & Speed: 5 MPH from the West. Calm waters!
Tide Stage: 11 AM High and 6 PM Low
Moon Phase: New Moon - rise at 9 AM and set at 7 PM
Water Conditions: Much better. Read this to get the full scoop!
SEBASTIAN AREA LAGOON WATCH — OXYGEN, FISH, OYSTERS & CLAMS Sunday, November 8, 2026 — IRLON station IRL-SB-WQ (Sebastian), 4:00 AM reading First, the plain words. Dissolved oxygen is the air dissolved in the water — it is what fish breathe through their gills. Below 4.0 mg/L is the danger line, where fish struggle to breathe. Salinity is how salty the water is: this part of the lagoon should run about 25–30 (the open ocean is about 35). Oysters, clams, and seagrass need that salt and cannot move away when the water turns fresh. FISH: Good news at Sebastian this morning — the water is breathing again. Oxygen at Sebastian came back up overnight to 7.01 mg/L (91.89% of normal), up from 4.01 yesterday morning, when it sat right on the danger line. That is a real recovery, and it happened in the pre-dawn hours, when oxygen runs lowest. No fish kill is reported, and fish at Sebastian are not struggling for air this morning. OYSTERS & CLAMS: Breathing is better — the fresh water is still the problem. Salinity at Sebastian rose to 11.22, up from 9.35 yesterday. A step in the right direction, but the water is still about two-thirds fresh — it should be 25–30 and read 27.5 just last Monday. Oysters and clams can survive days of this, but prolonged fresh water stresses them and can kill them where they sit, and it stresses seagrass the same way. SEAGRASS: Still stressed, and one reading needs watching. Seagrass needs steady salt and sunlight reaching the bottom. The tea-colored stain washed in off the land (called CDOM) is still high at 33.46 at Sebastian and much higher to the south — 76.37 at Fort Pierce and 98.55 at Vero Beach — and that stain blocks the light seagrass lives on. One more thing to watch: chlorophyll at Sebastian rose to 11.21 from 3.85 yesterday. Chlorophyll measures how much algae is in the water. That is not a bloom, but there is still fertilizer (nitrate) in the water from runoff, and more algae now than yesterday — we will keep an eye on it. THE REST OF THE PICTURE AT SEBASTIAN, 4:00 AM: • Water temp 25.94°C (about 78.7°F) • CO2 down to 1,119.89 ppm (was 2,371.54 yesterday) — CO2 is the gas given off when washed-in plants and muck rot, and rotting uses up oxygen. A falling CO2 fits with the oxygen coming back: less rotting going on, or the worst of it flushed through. • Nitrate 0.124 mg N/L — still in the water; it is algae food. • Turbidity 2.57 NTU — the water itself is clear; the darkness is stain, not mud. THE WATER COMING IN — a gap we have to be honest about: The ORCA Kilroy stations that measure the canal water flowing toward the lagoon have gone behind a login screen since yesterday afternoon, and we do not have an account. So there are no fresh inflow readings this morning. The last Kilroy readings, Friday 11:03 PM, showed that water low in oxygen — Sebastian DWP at 2.57 mg/L and the Main Relief Canal at 3.77 mg/L, right at the danger line, and near-zero salt. We cannot confirm this morning whether the inflow has improved. WIDER LAGOON — NEXT STATIONS (all 4:00 AM, IRLON and SJRWMD): • SOUTH — Link Port (just south of Vero Beach): Oxygen 4.26 mg/L (55.05%) — better than yesterday's 3.42, but still close to the danger line, and its CO2 reads extremely high, which means heavy rotting going on in that water. Salinity 10.45. This is the weak side of the picture this morning. • SOUTH — Fort Pierce: Oxygen 4.78 mg/L (63.04%) — steady but modest. Salinity down to 12. The water there is very dark (CDOM 76.37) and a little cloudier than yesterday. • Vero Beach: Oxygen and salinity are still not reporting at IRLON's Vero station — but the Water Management District's Vero sensor reads oxygen 5.1 mg/L and salinity a very fresh 8.86, so we do have eyes there. The water at Vero is the darkest on this read (CDOM 98.55). • NORTH: Every IRLON station north of Sebastian — Malabar, Banana River, Titusville, Jensen Beach, St. Lucie — is still dark. But the St. Johns River Water Management District runs its own sensors up there, and they ARE reporting (all 4:00 AM today): Eau Gallie oxygen healthy at 7.1 mg/L
Today's Lagoon Life:
The nicest and calmest day we have had around here for weeks! Light westerly breeze has the water flat as a bath tub and the clarity is improving.
Lagoon Living Tip of the Day:
🌊 Lagoon Living Tip of the Day: Your Stormwater Swale Has a Job!
Those shallow grassy depressions along neighborhood roads aren't just landscaping. They're called swales, and they help slow rainwater, allowing some of it to soak into the ground before reaching canals and the Indian River Lagoon.
After last week's flooding, it's worth checking that your swale is free of leaves, trash and yard debris.
Today's tip: Don't fill in a swale or block a drainage path without checking local regulations. Good drainage protects both your property and the lagoon.
Wildlife & Nature
Holy cow it was like a nature sanctuary this AM at the marina in Pelican Point where I have moved to. This AM I got up early before work so I walked down to the marina to do some fishing. There were 2 manatee lounging in the water when I arrived and then I watched dozens of tarpon rolling on bait fish. I couldn't get 1 to strike my paddle tail lure though. Then as I'm leaving, I see a river otter come across the boat ramp and disappear into a mangrove. What an AM! I'll start taking mo phone with me in the AM!
Today's Lagoon Spotlight
💚 Indian River County Do-Gooder: Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy
Since 1973, Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy has helped Indian River County children build brighter futures through mentoring, education and practical life skills.
Located in Vero Beach, the nonprofit recently renovated its facility to include a teaching kitchen, construction trades lab and technology center.
Its Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship program helps young adults ages 17–24 earn industry certifications and prepare for skilled careers. Programs are offered at no cost to participating families.
Why they matter: Teaching young people marketable skills doesn't just change their lives. It strengthens our entire community.
Official Website: https://youthguidanceprogram.org/
Lagoon Lifestyle & Real Estate
🏡 Real Estate Tip of the Day: Amendment 3 Isn't Just About Homesteads!
Florida's newly approved Amendment 3 includes an important benefit for owners of second homes, rental properties and commercial real estate.
Previously, annual increases in assessed value for most non-homestead properties were capped at 10%. Amendment 3 lowers that cap to 5%, beginning in 2027.
For example, a qualifying rental property assessed at $300,000 could generally see its capped assessed value rise by no more than $15,000 in one year, rather than $30,000.
But here's the distinction: This limits increases in assessed value, not your actual tax bill. Tax rates can still change, school-tax assessments follow different rules, and changes in ownership or improvements can affect the cap.
Today's tip: If you own investment property in Indian River County, review your assessed value and tax history. Amendment 3 could help slow future increases in taxable assessments.
Learn more: https://www.ircpa.org/
Tomorrow: What Amendment 3 could mean for local government services and property-tax revenues.
Thinking About Life Along the Lagoon?
Whether you're planning a visit, considering a move, or simply enjoy following life along Florida's Indian River Lagoon, I hope these daily reports help you experience one of Florida's most beautiful regions.
If you're looking for local insight about waterfront living or real estate anywhere along the lagoon, I'd be happy to help.
Every report is another chapter in the story of life along Florida's Indian River Lagoon. Thanks for following along.
Chris Norris
Broker Associate | Treasure Coast Realty
Serving Florida's Treasure Coast along the Indian River Lagoon.
ChrisNorrisRealEstate.com
SebastianLagoonLife.com
YouTube: @ChrisNorrisRealEstate