WCA -
Rainfall:
Unlike the ENP,
rainfall varied very little over the WCAs, averaging about 0.5 everywhere
(see Raindar.gif). In the Park and Fl
Bay rainfall was patchy again, falling heaviest over western parts of the
system and ranging from 0 1.9 over the 7 d period. Raindar spatially
averaged basin-wide accumulation was 0.93 for the week in the ENP. Rainfall
was not enough to keep up with evaporation (see srs.pdf) across the Everglades Protection
Area (EPA) and, as a result, the average water deficit was between 0.5 and 1
inch for the week.
Water
Conservation Areas:
The EPA gauges
indicated stable water stages in WCA-1 and NE Shark River Slough, rising water
levels in WCA-2B, and falling water levels in WCA-2A, 3A and 3B. (see WCA stages spreadsheet). At this time
of year, falling stages in the
Water levels decreased for
another week at all ENP platforms. Depths at the Taylor Slough Bridge (TSB)
water level plunged by 5.6, another week of > 5 weekly recession As a
result, the TSB stage is 1.5 ft lower than it was this time last year, and 2.5
ft lower than it was this time two years ago (see stage.pdf). In the panhandle region (EVER
6), water level was down by just over 2.25. Stage at Craighead Pond (CP)
& to the north in Shark River Sl. (P33) dropped by 1.2 & 1.4 over the
7 d period, respectively. These recession rates are unusual for this time
of the year when water levels are typically still increasing.
One would think that salinity
in the mangrove transition zone would rise with falling stage. However, local
rainfall and possibly a long lag time between affects of stage change on
salinity, has prevented salinity from increasing last week. The platform at the
mouth of Little Madeira Bay saw salinity holding just below 20 psu for another
week (see salinity.pdf).
Salinity in the TR ponds remained very low all week (~ 1 psu at Pond 5 &
Argyle Hendry). To the north and west,
Salinity is holding steady or
increasing in the Bay regions of the Park. Salinity readings in the
north-central Bay areas of Terrapin Bay and McCormick Creek increased through
much of last week, from the mid-20s towards 30 psu by the weekend (likely, in
part, to a mid-week Bay water flow reversal). In the central Bay,