M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Chip Merriam, Deputy Executive Director,
Water Resources
FROM: SFWMD Staff
Environmental Advisory Team
DATE: August
14, 2007
SUBJECT: Weekly
Environmental Recommendation for Systems Operations
Recommendation
No
regulatory releases
to the south or estuaries are recommended.
Background
Moderate
thunderstorm activity focused over the southern half of the District today,
then drier through the weekend. A trough
moving into the northern portion of the District will move into the Florida
Straits Wednesday. This trough will tap
moisture in place over the southern half of the District to generate showers
and thunderstorms. Dry air behind the
trough will suppress most shower activity through the weekend. Next week's weather is heavily dependent upon
the long-term track of Tropical Storm Dean.
The next ten days precipitation outlook is below average with low confidence.
The upper Kissimmee Basin received 0.21 inches of
rainfall over the last 7 days to bring the 30-day total to 8.10 inches (120% of
average) and the lower basin received 0.54 inches to bring the
total for the month to 7.52 inches (122% of average) (Daily Rainfall Report for
08/10/07).
Stages in the upper basin lakes are slightly below
regulation schedule (
Releases are being made from
Flow has been reestablished to the
Dissolved oxygen in the river channel has increased
in the last week and is now above thresholds of concern (> 2
mg/L).
According to the USACE
web site,
The
annual mapping of the entire submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)
community is concluded. The abundance of
SAV at approximately 277 shoreline sites has been documented
and preliminary results indicate that Chara is
the dominant plant species covering approximately 28,664 acres along the
southern and western shorelines.
Coverage
in the northern region was limited to approximately 494 acres of very sparse Vallisneria near the southwest corner of Kings
Bar. Light algal bloom formations were
observed at many of the southern and western sites during this survey.
Approximately 8,000 acres of torpedograss
from the Indian Prairie marsh south to the Moore Haven marsh are currently
being treated at a rate of approximately 670 acres per day. The intent is to treat at least 12,000 acres
this year while lake levels are low.
St. Lucie Estuary
No releases occurred at S-80 over the past
week. Salinities on the surface remained
about the same this week at 4.7 ppt in the South Fork
(
Caloosahatchee Estuary
The average discharge at S-79 was up this week to
363 cfs and the monthly average discharge is 252 cfs. Chloride concentration at the Olga
Plant remain stable, averaging about 83 mg/l. Average surface salinity in the upper estuary
during the last week also was nearly unchanged, with both S-79 and the I-75
Bridge sensors reporting 4.6 ppt. Bottom salinities ranged from 4.8 ppt to 7.9 ppt,
respectively. The salinity sensors at
FWRI reports that no Karenia brevis, the
Water Conservation Areas
Rainfall amounts resulted in modest net increases
in water depth for all regions with the exception of WCA-1
(-0.08). Marsh depths now range between
0.68 ft (6-3 gage) and 1.7 ft. (6-5 gage) (Note: Gage 99 is not considered a
marsh gauge.), and continued increases are seen as good thing for the
environment. In terms of the Regulations
Schedules; WCA-1 is below regulation, WCA-2A is above Regulation, and WCA-3A
is below.
Trends in water levels across the Everglades
National Park (ENP) wetlands have been mixed over
recent weeks. Some areas, like in the
southern Taylor Slough area of Craighead Pond (CP), have remained unusually
stable for several weeks now. In other
extremities of the Park, such as in Shark River Slough (P33) & in the
panhandle (EVER6), there has been a slow decline over
recent weeks, the timing of which corresponds with local rainfall accumulation
(or lack thereof). Water level at
A weekly decline of > 6 is fairly significant
even at
Salinity continued to remain seasonably low &
stable across FL Bay. Trout Ck. salinity
was somewhat flashy last week, generally holding in single digits with brief
periods rising over 10 psu. Salinity at the mouth of
Water Supply
Water levels in the Lower West Coast (LWC) continue to remain near low levels for their periods
of record, and water levels generally decreased in the LWC
over the past week. Water levels
declined slightly in the coastal areas of the Upper East Coast and
Four out of eleven water supply risk measures are
in the high risk category this week including the projected Lake O Stage (SSM), and Lower East Coast Service Areas 1, 2 and 3.
Water Conservation Areas 1, 2A and 3A continue to
be in the low risk category. The Palmer
Index for Tributary Conditions remains at medium risk. The LOK
Multi-Seasonal Net Inflow Forecast remains at medium risk this week. The CPC Precipitation Outlook remains at
low risk this week, along with the LOK Seasonal Net
Inflow forecast.
WSE
(
The current
CC: George
Horne