Quantifying freshwater discharge through the coastal hydraulic control structures in eastern Dade County is an important component in the computation of accurate water budgets for the inland and wetland areas, calibration and use of water-management models, and computation of nutrient loadings to Biscayne Bay. Discharge ratings for 14 of the 16 coastal hydraulic control structures in eastern Dade County have not been verified by any flow-measurement devices. Instead, discharges have been computed by theoretical rating curves.

Calibrating these rating curves requires accurate measurements of discharges through the coastal hydraulic control structure, data on structure opera- tions, and headwater and tailwater elevations. These measurements must be made under a variety of conditions in order to encompass all the flow regimes that occur at each structure.

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