Kissimmee Watershed Environmental Conditions – 06/03/08

                                                                                                                                           

·        Over the last seven days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received 0.08 inches of rainfall to bring the 30 day total to 1.37 inches (38% of average), and the lower basin received 0.09 inches to bring the 30 day total to 1.25 inches (33% of average) (Daily Rainfall Report 6/2/08).

·        Releases from East Lake Tohopekaliga (S-59) are approximately 177 cfs. Releases from Lake Tohopekaliga (S-61) increased to approximately 800 cfs.  No other releases are being made at this time.  All upper Kissimmee Basin lakes are below regulation schedule.    

·        In the upper basin, snail kites continue to nest on East Lake Toho, Lake Toho, and Lake Kissimmee.  Nests on Lake Toho continue to represent a large fraction of the total number of snail kite nests in Florida

·        Flow has been reestablished to the Kissimmee River for 322 days (S-65 re-opened on 07/18/07).  Flow is approximately 200 cfs at S65 and 137 cfs at S-65C.

·        With the decreased inflow from the upper basin, water levels continue to decline across the Kissimmee River Restoration Project. The water level at PC62, near the upstream end of the Phase I area, is currently 33.98 feet and the headwater stage at S-65C has is 33.31 feet, so that the water surface elevation decreases by 0.67 feet from the upstream end to the downstream end of the restoration project.  The floodplain in the restored reach is nearly dry except for isolated areas.  Numerous wood storks and other wading birds were observed foraging in isolated wetlands on the floodplain over the past week.

·        Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the river channel of the Kissimmee River ranged from 4.6 mg/L to 9.4 mg/L with an average of 7.3 mg/L. 

 


 

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