Melinda A. Wolfert¹, Eric D. Swain¹ and John D. Wang^2
1U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
²Applied Marine Physics, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, USA

The South Florida Water Management District is using its regional hydrologic model, the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM), to evaluate different hydrologic restoration scenarios for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). This coarse-scale model predicts the effects of planned physical modifications and operational changes to the inland freshwater areas of southern Florida. In order to determine the effects of the system modifications at the coastal interfaces of the southern Everglades and Florida Bay, the USGS has developed a numerical surface- and ground-water hydrodynamic and salt transport model of the southern Everglades, known as TIME (Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades). TIME is used to (1) estimate the freshwater flows in the Everglades, into Florida Bay, and to the Gulf along the western boundary of the Everglades, and (2) calculate the salinities in these coastal zones. TIME is an application of the Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density Dependent System (FTLOADDS) model code, which links a two-dimensional, hydrodynamic surface-water modeling code (SWIFT2D) to a three-dimensional, density dependent ground-water modeling code (SEAWAT). The TIME model uses a 194 x 174-cell grid with 500-m horizontal resolution that consists of a single surface-water layer and ten 7-m thick ground-water layers.

To evaluate CERP scenarios, the TIME model derives boundary conditions along its northern and eastern boundaries from SFWMM simulation results. Surface-water flows from culverts, bridges, and structures are input along these boundaries as volumetric point sources. Boundary ground-water heads, which were obtained from field data in the stand-alone TIME model, are interpolated bi-linearly from nearby SFWMM cells and applied as general head boundaries in the linked model. The model is also being modified to allow ground-water input from designated reservoirs. Additionally, the TIME model provides freshwater flows to the EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) hydrodynamic model of Florida Bay, and in return, receives water levels and salinities, which are applied as boundary conditions.

The TIME simulations predict changes in flows, stages and runoff to the coastal marine waters of Florida Bay and the southern Gulf of Mexico for the 1990 to 2000 period. Three CERP scenarios are evaluated using the TIME model: (1) CERP0, a base case that incorporates all planned changes, (2) 2050 base, a case that delineates conditions in year 2050 if no system changes are made, and (3) ALT7R5, a case that incorporates some of the CERP0 planned structural and operational changes. Comparisons between scenarios of water levels, coastal creek flows and salinity will help to quantify the effects selected changes to the system will have on the southern Everglades and Florida Bay.

Contact Information: Melinda A. Wolfert, U.S. Geological Survey, 3110 SW 9th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315, Phone: 954-377-5955, Fax: 954-377-5901, Email: mwolfert@usgs.gov

(This abstract is from the 2006 Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference.)

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