WCA - Everglades Conditions Update

(Mar. 4, 2008)

 

Rainfall:

Similar to last week, rainfall over the Greater Everglades was relatively light again, particularly in the southern conservation areas (see Raindar.gif).  Rainfall declined regularly from WCA-1 with 0.62”, WCA-2A 0.45”, WCA-2B 0.20”, WCA-3A 0.15”, and WCA-3B with 0.06”.   ENP received more rainfall at 0.22” for the week.  ET for the week was 1.15”, exceeding rainfall and producing declining water levels overall in the Greater Everglades.

 

Water Conservation Areas:

Dry season recession rates have returned to a typical pattern throughout the Greater Everglades (see WCA_stages.xls).  Recession rates are GOOD throughout WCAs 1 and 2, ranging from -0.05”/week to -0.16”/week.  While recession rates in most of WCA-3A are still POOR, this week’s values are much better than those from last week and are beginning to decline.  Water depths are still rather high for good wading bird foraging in most of the conservation areas.  Foraging conditions are GOOD to FAIR locally only in WCA-2B, northern WCA-3A, and all of WCA-3B.   Water depths range from 0.15’ to 2.24’ at all reporting gauges.

 

Stages (see WCA_reg_stages.doc) in WCA-1 are about at regulation, the WCA-2A marsh has declined slightly from last week but is still far above regulation, and WCA-3 stages are slightly under regulation.

 

Everglades National Park:

ENP stations have not transmitted data since 2/28 (with latest data through 2/27), so data are not current. 

 

Rainfall was patchy again last week across ENP and Florida Bay.  The ENP basin spatially-averaged RAINDAR total for the week was .22”.  Estimated weekly totals near or exceeding 1” occurred in southeastern areas of the Park and in Florida Bay.  The C-111 basin-wide RAINDAR total for this period was 0.62”.  The USGS gauge at W. Highway Ck. reported just under 0.5” of rain for the week.  Rain in the region was heaviest on Wednesday, 2/27 (with little recorded since then). 

 

Data are insufficient to estimate weekly water level trends across ENP wetlands, with EDEN stage data extending only through Friday, 2/29.  The 5-day trends (using the EDEN estimates) indicate decreased water levels in SRS (station P33) by just under 1”, with increased levels in the panhandle (station EVER6) by approx 0.5”.  No EDEN data are available for Taylor Slough Bridge, and data for Craighead Pond looked suspicious. 

 

Salinity concentrations remained generally stable or declined slightly in Florida Bay last week.  Salinity dropped into the low-20s at Trout Creek.  At the mouth of Taylor River salinity read near 20 psu for another week.  Salinity concentrations in the Taylor ponds remained in the single digits last week (USGS station at Pond 5).  The 30 day moving average concentration at Argyle Hendry (station TR, used to track Florida Bay MFL criterion) is unavailable.  Salinity concentrations dropped below 20 psu in the north-central Bay area of McCormick Creek.  As a whole these salinity concentrations are near seasonal norms. 

 

There is no update on spoonbill nesting in FL Bay. 

 

Wildlife:

The Friday flight saw no change in foraging and nesting patterns from those of last week.  There are no birds in northern WCA 1 and 2A. The monthly flights of the colonies begin today. 

 

 


 

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