Kissimmee Watershed Environmental Conditions – 06/17/08:

·        Over the last seven days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received 1.97 inches of rainfall to bring the 30 day total to 4.43 inches (82% of average), and the lower basin received 2.34 inches to bring the 30 day total to 4.18 inches (78% of average) (Daily Rainfall Report 6/16/08).

·        The spring recession of the regulation schedule has ended in the upper basin lakes.  Consequently, releases have ended from all lakes except for minimal releases from Lake Kissimmee for the Kissimmee River.  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 336 days (S-65 re-opened on 07/18/07).  Flow is approximately 250 cfs at S65 and 250 cfs at S-65C.

·        River stage within the Kissimmee River Restoration Project area increased by approximately 0.5 ft in the last week.  However, much of the floodplain within this area is dry except for isolated pools.  These pools continue to attract foraging wading birds.  The water level in the area of the restoration project decreases by 0.41 feet from 34.08 feet near the upstream end (station PC62) to 33.67 feet at the downstream end (headwater stage at S-65C). 

·        Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the river channel of the Kissimmee River ranged from 2.2 mg/L to 7.4 mg/L with an average of 5.8 mg/L.  Although DO concentrations are beginning to decrease as temperatures rise, concentrations remain above levels of concern.

 


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