Kissimmee Watershed Environmental Conditions – 10/7/08:

 

·        Over the last seven days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received approximately 0.59 inches of rainfall to bring the thirty day total to 2.88 inches (52% of average).  The lower basin received approximately 0.94 inches to bring the thirty day total to 2.46 inches (45% of average) (Daily Rainfall Report 10/06/08).

·        Water levels in the upper basin lakes continue to closely follow their regulation schedules except for Lakes Kissimmee, Hatchineha and Cypress, which are almost 0.5 ft below regulation schedule.  Releases from the upper chain of lakes have ceased except for minor releases (<100 cfs) from Lakes Myrtle, Gentry and Alligator.

·        Discharge from Lake Kissimmee remained at approximately 300 cfs and discharge at S65C decreased from 700 cfs to 350 cfs.  

·        Floodplain depths in the restored area continue to decrease and currently range from 0.5 to 1.5 ft in general.

·        Recent observations revealed increased numbers of wading birds, waterfowl, migrant shorebirds and migrant songbirds foraging in and around the floodplain in the restoration area.  The post-Fay drawdown is coinciding with peak migration for many species.

o       Several flocks of migrant blue-winged teal (50-100+ per flock) were observed.  Black-bellied whistling ducks and mottled ducks also were seen.

o       Well over 200 wood storks were mixed with great egrets, white ibis, snowy egrets, tricolored herons and little blue herons.  At least one roseate spoonbill and several juvenile wood storks were observed as well.

o       Migrant shorebirds (mostly greater and lesser yellowlegs, least sandpipers, and spotted sandpipers) were on the floodplain as well as on newly formed or enhanced sandbars formed from TS Fay’s high flows.

o       Migrant songbirds (mostly palm warblers, American redstarts, blue-grey gnatcatchers, and other warblers) were abundant in mixed-species flocks in shrubby areas and along the oak hammocks foraging on caterpillars.

·        From 9/30/08 to 10/7/08 dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Kissimmee River ranged from 1.2 mg/L to 4.1 mg/L and averaged 2.4 mg/L

 


Back to Lake Okeechobee Operations Main Page

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