WCA - Everglades Conditions Update

(Feb. 26, 2008)

 

Rainfall:

Rainfall over the Greater Everglades was relatively light, particularly in the south (see Raindar.gif).  WCA-1 was 0.56”, WCA-2A received 0.32”, WCA-2B had 0.4”, WCA-3A had 0.2”, while both WCA-3B and ENP received far less rainfall at 0.04”.  ET (1.08”) exceeded rainfall, which is normal at this time of year.

 

Water Conservation Areas:

Dry season recession rates were mixed in the Greater Everglades (see WCA_stages.xls).  After last week’s reversals, most of the recession rates returned to GOOD or FAIR, although rapid reversals of 0.31’ in WCA-2A and 0.19’ at Stage 63 in northern WCA-3A represent POOR dry season events.  After the previous week’s heavy rainfalls, water depths in most of the conservation areas rose to levels too deep for foraging (deeper than 1’), particularly in WCA-1, 2, and southern WCA-3A (with POOR depth ratings).  Water depths in northern WCA-3A and southern WCA-3B are the exceptions, with a rating of GOOD (0.1’-0.8’).  Water depths range from 0.4’ to 2.0’ at all reporting gauges.  Stages in WCA-1 and WCA-3 are about at regulation, while the WCA-2A marsh has risen higher above regulation than it was last week (see WCA_reg_stages.doc).

 

Everglades National Park:

Rainfall was patchy last week across ENP and Florida Bay.  Marine and wetland platforms in ENP recorded between 0”–1.0” of precipitation.  The ENP basin spatially-averaged RAINDAR similarly reflects this total at 0.13”.

 

Last week’s water level trends for ENP wetlands were mixed (see ENP_Stages.pdf).  Shark River Slough (station P33) and southern Taylor Slough (at Craighead Pond) water levels declined by 0.8” and 2”, respectively, for the week.  Water depths rose nearly 0.5” in the ENP panhandle (station EVER6).  Stages rose through the early part of last week at Craighead Pond, ending up at just 0.1” weekly increase. 

 

Salinity concentrations (see ENP Salinity.pdf) remained generally stable again in Florida Bay last week. Salinity remained in the mid- to upper 20s at Trout Creek.  At the mouth of Taylor River, salinity remained just above 20 psu for another week.  Salinity concentrations in the Taylor ponds remained in the single digits last week; the 30 day moving average concentration at Argyle Hendry (station TR, used to track FL Bay MFL criterion) was at 7.4 psu as of Sunday, 2/24.  Salinity concentrations were in the low to mid-20s last week at Little Madeira Bay and in the north-central Bay areas of McCormick Creek and Terrapin BayWhipray Basin salinity remained near 33 psu throughout the week.  As a whole these salinity concentrations are still near seasonal norms.  The exception to this trend is out west, in the Shark River Slough outflow at Tarpon Bay, where salinity still remains above its seasonal average, measuring near 15 psu as of Sunday 2/24; this is not surprising given the low water levels in SRS.  

 

There is no update on spoonbill nesting in Florida Bay

 

Wildlife:

The weekly Friday morning flight over the National Wildlife Refuge and WCA-2A indicated little avian activity this week.  Water levels have increased dramatically in northern 2A just south of the S-10s and for the first time this year there were very few birds feeding in the CHIP plots where depths are now at least 50 cm. Water depths were shallower to the south and west.  Some White Ibis, Great Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills were feeding in central 2A but no large flocks were observed.

 

In the Refuge, foraging was restricted to isolated Great Egrets.  No Ibises were observed.  About 20 Great Egrets are beginning to nest at New Colony 4.  

 


 

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