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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