Kissimmee Watershed Environmental Conditions – 10/13/08:

 

·        Over the last seven days, the upper Kissimmee Basin received approximately 2.28 inches of rainfall and the lower basin received approximately 2.07 inches. (Daily Rainfall Report 10/13/08).

·        Water levels in the upper basin lakes continue to closely follow their regulation schedules.  Stage in Lakes Kissimmee, Hatchineha and Cypress, has increased slightly and is now 0.4 ft below regulation schedule.  

·        Discharge from Lake Kissimmee remained at approximately 300 cfs and discharge at S65C increased slightly from 350 cfs to 468 cfs.  

·        Wading bird surveys from last Thursday revealed an estimate of 114 birds per square kilometer on the floodplain.  This estimate is nearly 4 times higher than the performance measure target of 30 birds per square kilometer.  The actual number of birds encountered may have been even greater if the flight had not been cut short due to operations at Avon Park Bombing Range.

·        A flock of 12 roseate spoonbills was also observed using the floodplain.  This is largest number of spoonbills that have been observed in this area to date.

·        Despite decreases in flow and stage within the restored reach of the river, water depths on the floodplain currently range from 0.5 to 1.5 ft in general see attached.

·        Observations made during a fish shocking survey last week include the development of large sandbars due to high flows from TS Fay as well as numerous fish concentrated in areas where water is flowing off of the floodplain into the river channel.

·        From 10/7/08 to 10/14/08 dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Kissimmee River ranged from 0.62 mg/L to 6.29 mg/L and averaged 3.41 mg/L.

 


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