WCA - Everglades Conditions Update

(June 17, 2008)

 

Rainfall:

High intensity rain cells occurred in Shark River Slough and WCA-3 (see attached raindar.gif). High rainfall totals were recorded for each region except in Fl Bay and in all cases it was enough to compensate for the general ET level of 1.79” (see srs.pdf).

WCA-1:          1.98”               WCA-3A:        2.67”

WCA-2A:       2.33”               WCA-3B:        3.11”

WCA-2B:       2.38”               ENP:                1.84”

 

Fire:

No reported fires this past week.

 

Water Conservation Areas:

Stages increased throughout the WCA’s in response to increasing rainfall amounts and extent (see attached WCA Stages.xls). Wet season precipitation exceeded ET causing stages to increase from a low of 0.02 ft in WCA-2B to a high of plus 0.55 ft in WCA-3B. Despite increasing stages, wading bird foraging depths continue to be Fair in WCA-1, Good in WCA-2A and Fair in WCA-3A. Stages are currently below regulation in WCA-1, slightly above Regulation in WCA-2A  and within the E1 zone of the WCA-3A Regulation Schedule  (see WCA_reg_stages.doc).

 

Everglades National Park:

Rainfall platforms with sufficient data showed a wide range, from 0.2” (in FL Bay) to 5.6” (in Tarpon Bay, downstream end of Shark River).  Trends for ENP wetland water levels were again mixed in response to variable rainfall patterns.  Water level increased by just over 2.25” in Shark River Sl. @ P33, and by 7” at Taylor Sl. Bridge. The panhandle (station EVER6), on the other hand, saw water level drop slightly (0.2”).  Water level was down by 0.6” in the southern part of Taylor Sl. at Craighead Pond, an area where stage remains well below normal for this time of year. 

 

Salinity across Florida Bay remains high (see Salinity.pdf).  Concentrations were in the upper 30s (most platforms near 40 psu) across the northeast Bay.  In the Taylor ponds, salinity remained in the upper 30s for another week at both Pond 5 (USGS station) and Argyle Hendry (ENP station TR) platforms.  As of Sunday, 6/15, the 30d moving average concentration at TR (used for tracking the FL Bay MFL criterion) was at 34.8 psu (up from 33.5 psu last week).  Salinity remained in the upper-40s in the northcentral Bay areas of McCormick Ck. & Terrapin Bay.  The central Bay station in Whipray Basin recorded salinity in the mid 40s for another week.  Salinity in the upstream reaches of Shark River (Tarpon Bay platform) declined last week (to 12 psu) due to high regional rainfall. Please contact Robin Bennett (rbennet @sfwmd.gov)  if you have any questions.

 

 

Wildlife:

A limited June nest count indicated a total of 11175 nests (3400 egrets and 7775 White Ibis nests) in the LNWR, on June 1st. Casual observations indicate that these late breeding birds continue to forage in the LNWR, WCA-2A and in STA’s, and that birds will fledge over the next 2-5 weeks if water levels do not rise too much or too quickly.  Please contact Mark Cook (mcook@sfwmd.gov)  if you have any questions. 

 

 


 

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