Kissimmee Watershed Environmental Conditions – 3/25/08

 

·        Over the last seven days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received 0.45 inches of rainfall to bring the total for March to 3.22 inches (130% of average) and the lower basin received 0.76 inches to bring the March total to 3.46 inches (156% of average).  While March rainfall for the upper and lower Kissimmee basins are above average, the totals since January 1 are only 102% of the long-term average for the upper basin and 108% for the lower basin (Daily Rainfall Report 3/24/08).

·        The discharge from Lake Kissimmee (S-65) was increased to approximately 2000 cfs to continue a gradual water level recession and provide flow to the Kissimmee River.  Releases from Lake Toho (S-61) continue at 1200 cfs.  Releases from East Lake Toho were decreased to 200 cfs.  Releases continue from Lakes Hart and Mary Jane and from Lakes Myrtle, Preston and Joel.  No other releases are being made in the upper basin.

·        In the upper basin, snail kites continue to nest on East Lake Toho, Lake Toho, and Lake Kissimmee

·        A whooping crane continues to nest on Lake Kissimmee.

·        Flow has been reestablished to the Kissimmee River for 244 days (S-65 re-opened on 07/18/07).

·        The increased inflow from the upper basin is inundating a portion of the floodplain in the Phase I area of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project. 

·        Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the river channel of the Kissimmee River ranged from 4.5 mg/L to 7.8 mg/L with an average of 6.2 mg/L.

·        The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began discussions last week with an interagency team on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s request for a deviation to the regulation schedule for Lake Toho.  The request is to hold water levels 0.5 ft above the regulation schedule line until June 1.  Most of the snail kite nests this year have been reported on Lake Toho.  The deviation request is intended to improve snail kite nesting on Lake Toho by reducing the amount of time that water levels are below 53.5 ft.

 


 

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