WCA - Everglades Conditions Update

(Dec. 18, 2007)

Holiday Note: The next conditions report will be Jan. 8, 2008.

 

Rainfall:

Rainfall in WCA-1 was substantial (i.e., 1.9”). The rest of the system saw between 0.6” and 0.2” for the week. (see Raindar.gif). Stations in the central Bay received nearly 2” of rain.  Even higher totals were measured offshore & along the Keys. This was NOT another week with a deficit water budget for the entire system because ET was o.85” (see srs.pdf).

 

 

Water Conservation Areas:

Good to Fair dry season recession rates continue to dominate the region except in WCA-1 where the rainfall caused water levels to increase by 0.06 ft (see WCA_stages.xls). Although recession rates were Good or Fair, the depths in the Everglades remain too deep for wading bird foraging (see WCA stages.xls). This is normally not an issue at this time of year because foraging in support of nesting behavior does not usually begin until February. Only the NW corner of WCA-3A has proper depths and recession rates to support wading birds. However, it is unknown if birds are using this area and if fish for prey are available (fish may not have yet recovered from the current drought).  Stages in WCA-1 are right at Regulation, WCA-3 stages are below Regulation and WCA-2A remains about one foot above Regulation (see WCA_reg_stages.doc).

 

Everglades National Park:

Mixed patterns for ENP wetland water levels reflected the patchy distribution of precipitation over the week.  Taylor Sl. Bridge, an area that received nearly 1” of rain over the past 7 d, was the only station where water level was up for the week, by nearly 0.5”.  Water levels were down across other areas of ENP declining by 0.6” in the southern part of the system (both at Craighead Pond & in the panhandle at EVER6), and by 0.5” in Shark River Slough (@ P33) (see Stages.pdf). 

 

Salinity remained generally stable across Florida Bay. Taylor slough experienced a flow reversal. Salinity concentrations at the Taylor River mouth were in the single digits early in the week, jumping up to 15 psu over the weekend before dropping back down < 10 psu yesterday.  In the Taylor River ponds the flow reversal that made it as far up as Pond 5 (where salinity jumped from < 1 psu to just over 5 psu) before salinity dropped back down yesterday; there was no such increase at Argyle Hendry (station TR) where salinity has remained below 1 psu. In the north-central Bay, salinity in Terrapin Bay and McCormick Creek remained low for much of the week (near 10 psu) before flow reversed quickly increasing salinity to just over 20 psu.  In central Florida Bay, Whipray Basin salinity held below 30 psu for another week.  In the SRS outflow at Tarpon Bay, salinity remained just over 4 psu through Sunday, 12/16.  As of now, the Bay appears to be well buffered in terms of salinity for the dry season (see Salinity.pdf).

 


 

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