WCA - Everglades Conditions Update (July 3, 2007)

 

 

Rainfall:

Precipitation was intense along the eastern shoreline of south Florida (see attached Raindar), but was relatively sparse for this time of year in the interior, barely being able to keep up with the pan evaporation rate of 1.87 inches (see srs.pdf). Total precipitation (in inches) for the week, starting in the North, was WCA1=1.4, WCA2A=2.0; WCA2B=2.0; WCA3A=1.5; WCA3B=2.2; ENP=1.9.

 

Water Conservation Areas:

The stage increased for most of the Everglades, but not significantly (see spreadsheet). In WCA-1 depth is about 0.8 ft, but stage increased by only 0.05 ft for the week. In WCA-2A, the depth is still relatively low at 0.17 ft, but inundation was good at 0.13 ft. WCA-2B is something of an enigma (Not the Word of the Week because you should know this one) where the gage near the canal dropped by 0.11 ft and the interior site (EDEN-13) increased by 0.26 ft. Enhanced seepage due to urban withdrawals may be the cause.  In the northern sections of WCA-3A water levels actually dropped by as much as 0.18 ft and the northeastern section of the region is -0.33 below ground. WCA-3B had fair re-wetting rates and has an average depth of 0.89 ft, which is good. The NESRS had a good re-wetting rate this week but is still relatively shallow for this time of year (depth=0.63 ft).  WCA-1 and 3 are below Regulation and WCA-2A is right at Regulation (see .doc).

 

Everglades National Park:

Rainfall was patchy across ENP & FL Bay again last week, with the panhandle region of ENP & the Bay proper receiving more rainfall than areas to the north & west.  The range of precip recorded across the basin (at the stations for which we receive data) was 1.2” – 5.2” as a 7 d accumulation.  This is not well reflected in the RAINDAR weekly ENP basin-wide spatial average accumulation of 2.0”. 

Water levels across the area displayed mixed patterns for another week.  In SRS at P33 and at the Taylor Slough Bridge, water levels were down again by ~ 0.75”.  In the southern part of the system, down at Craighead Pond (station CP), water levels did not change from last week.  In contrast, in the panhandle (at EVER6), water levels were up considerably by 2.6”. 

Salinity continued to drop or remain low across FL Bay last week.  Salinity at Trout Ck. remained in single digits for much of the week.  The platform at the mouth of L. Madeira Bay read salinity concentrations in the mid-20s, dropping slightly from last week’s upper 20s.  Salinity in the Taylor River ponds remained < 5 psu all week (~ 3 psu @ Pond 5 & nearly fresh up at Argyle Hendry).  The 30 d moving average concentration at TR continues to decline, remaining well below the 30 psu point (at 5.0 psu as of Sunday, 7/1).   Salinity is expected to remain low in the ponds for the remainder of the wet season.  Salinity concentrations held steady in the northcentral Bay areas of McCormick Ck. and Terrapin Bay, into the lower-20s or below 20 psu.  In the central Bay, Whipray Basin salinity held near 35 psu for yet another week.  On a trip taken on Friday (6/29) the measured salinity was 20 psu in Garfield Bight.  This is well below average for this time of the wet season (normally salinity is near 30 psu this time of year @ GB), further highlighting the fact this part of the system has received copious (Not the Word of the Week) rainfall & flow is making its way into FL Bay.  To the north and west, Tarpon Bay (SRS outflow) salinity dropped to near 2 psu as of Sunday, 7/1. 

Until the great disparity between the southern and northern rainfall patterns in the Everglades subsides, we are not likely to experience any eupeptic (Yes – This is the Word of the Week) frame of mind.

 

 

 

Back to Lake Okeechobee Operations Main Page

Back to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers WSE Homepage