Kissimmee Watershed Environmental
Conditions 02/12/08
·
Over
the last 7 days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received 0.21 inches of rainfall to
bring the 30-day total to 3.12 inches, which was 127% of the long term average,
and the lower basin received 0.07 inches to bring the 30-day total to 1.08
inches, which was 54% of average (Daily Rainfall Report 2/12/08).
·
Water
levels in the upper basin lakes are at or below their regulation
schedules.
·
Lake Kissimmee (S-65)
continued discharging approximately 250 cfs to the Kissimmee River. Releases of 200 cfs are being made from Lake Toho
(S-61). Releases from Lake
Gentry (S-63) are likely
to begin today. No other releases are being made in the upper basin.
·
Snail kites have
begun nesting in the upper basin. Lake Toho
has several active nests.
·
Flow
has been reestablished to the Kissimmee River
for 202 days (S-65 re-opened on 07/18/07).
·
Dissolved
oxygen concentrations in the river channel of the Kissimmee
River ranged from 4.6 mg/L to 9.1 mg/L with an average of 7.7
mg/L.
·
Aerial surveys
were conducted last month (January 10) for water birds on the Kissimmee
River floodplain. Within the area affected by the
restoration project, wading birds (largely glossy ibis, great egrets, great
blue heron, and white ibis) had a density of 22.7 birds/kmē, and waterfowl (largely mottled ducks and
blue-winged teal) had a density of 4.9 birds/kmē.
In the area unaffected by the restoration project, wading birds (largely great
egret, white ibis, and glossy ibis) had a density of 3.7
birds/kmē, and waterfowl (only blue-winged
teal) occurred at higher densities of 12.3 birds/kmē
because of high concentrations at two isolated wetlands.
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