WCA - Everglades Conditions Update

06 November 2007

 

Rainfall:

Rainfall throughout the WCAs and the northern Everglades National Park ranged from 0.1” to 0.8” with higher amounts falling in WCA-3B and ENP (see Raindar.gif).   Rainfall in WCAs 1, 2a, 2b, and 3a was 0.1” to 0.3”.  

 

Water Conservation Areas:

Water depths decreased by 0.41’ and 0.15’ in WCA-2A and WCA-2B, respectively (see WCA_stages.xls).   Water depth changes in other WCA impoundments did not change appreciably.  Water depths averages for WCA impoundments all exceeded 1.3’ with highest average depths occurring in WCA-2B (3.3’).  Stages in WCA-1 are within Zone A2, WCA-2A remains well above regulation, and stages in WCA-3 below regulation (see WCA_reg_stages.doc).

 

Everglades National Park:

 

Rainfall totals were moderate across ENP and FL Bay last week.  Wetland stations where data was available (many stations was not recording) received between 0.75 – 1.1” of rainfall.  The weekly RAINDAR basin-wide spatial averages were ~ 0.4” for the ENP basin and just higher at 0.9” to the east in the C-111 basin, in close agreement with the few stations from which we did receive data last week.

 

ENP wetland water levels displayed mixed trends.  Water levels both at Shark River Slough (P33) and at the southeastern end of ENP in the panhandle (EVER6) were nearly unchanged (up by 0.2”, down by 0.1”, respectively).  Taylor Slough Bridge saw a modest stage increase (for this station) of 0.8” over the week.  Craighead Pond water level dropped by 0.7”.  These water levels are generally above where they were this time last year, with the exception of P33 which continues to be well below average.

 

Salinity remained generally low and stable across FL Bay, with the exception of a brief reversal at the end of the week just prior to the passage of the weekend cold front.  Strong flow from the Everglades down to the Bay through both Trout Creek and Taylor River allowed salinity to remain in the single digits for much of the 7 day period, with the exception of a brief reversal Friday-Saturday in which salinity shot up (10-20 psu) before dropping back down again.  Salinity in the Taylor River ponds remained below 1 psu over the entire week. Salinity concentrations at the Little Madeira Bay mouth platform actually dropped into single digits early last week before increasing back into the teens by the weekend.  In the north-central Bay areas, Terrapin Bay and McCormick Creek remained very low for this time of year, generally below 10 psu (with the exception of a brief flow reversal when concentrations increased into the teens).  In central Florida Bay, Whipray Basin remained well below 30 psu for another week.  In the SRS outflow at Tarpon Bay, salinity remained low near 1 psu for the entire week.  The Bay currently appears to be well buffered in terms of salinity for the dry season.


 

Back to Lake Okeechobee Operations Main Page

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