WCA - Everglades Conditions Update

(Feb. 12, 2008)

 

Rainfall:

Rainfall was light over the Greater Everglades , except in WCA-1, where total rain for the week was about 0.58” (see Raindar.gif). With an average pan evaporation of 1.15”, this was another deficit water budget week.

 

Water Conservation Areas:

GOOD dry-season recession rates dominate the entire region (see WCA_stages.xls). Water depths for water bird foraging is GOOD in WCA-2A, northern WCA-3A and Shark River Slough. Stages in WCA-1 remain slightly below Regulation, WCA-2A remains above regulation, and WCA-3 stages continue to be significantly below regulation (see WCA_reg_stages.doc).

 

Everglades National Park:

ENP wetland water levels continued to drop in response to low precipitation.  Water level at Taylor Sl. Bridge dropped by 1.8” over the 7 d period (not an unusual decline for this area), falling to nearly 2’ below ground surface.   Shark River Sl. (station P33) and southern Taylor Sl. (at Craighead Pond) also posted declines of nearly 1” and 0.8”, respectively.  January water levels in all areas of ENP were well below where they have been over the past 10 yrs time and, lowest over this period of record (water year 1997 – 2007) at Taylor Slough Bridge (TSB) & P33 in SRS.  For these northern stations (TSB & P33) January 2008 water levels were similar to where they were in Jan. 1989, the beginning of the last extreme drought in S. FL. 

 

Salinity concentrations remained stable or increased slightly in Florida Bay last week.  At the mouth of Taylor River salinity read just above 20 psu for much of the week.  The 30d moving average concentration (used to track the MFL criterion) is still low at 5.9 psu as of Sunday, 2/10.  Whipray Basin salinity has started to slowly increase, up to just over 33 psu as of Sunday, 2/10.  As a whole these salinity concentrations are still near seasonal norms.  The exception to this trend is out west, in the SRS outflow at Tarpon Bay, where salinity remains above its seasonal average, measuring near 17 psu as of Sunday 2/10.

Wildlife:

Nothing new to report.

 


 

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