Project Summary Sheet

Project: Evapotranspiration Measurements and Modeling in the Everglades

Web Sites: http://sofia.usgs.gov

Location (Subregions & Counties): Southern Everglades, Dade and Monroe Counties

Funding (Source): USGS Place-Based Studies

Principal Investigator: Edward R. German, egerman@usgs.gov, 407-865-7575

Project Personnel: Sandra Kinnaman, kinnaman@usgs.gov, 407-865-7575; Eddie Simonds, simonds@usgs.gov, 407-865-7575

Supporting Organizations: USGS/WRD

Associated / Linked Projects: None

Overview & Status: Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the most important components of the Everglades water budget. The principal objective of the study is to develop an understanding of ET within the Everglades drainage unit, excluding agricultural and brackish environments. To achieve this, a network of ET-measurement sites was established in the Everglades in 1996, representing the various types of hydrologic and vegetative environments. Eight sites were operated in 1996 and nine sites were operated in 1997. Data from these sites was used to characterize ET and other meteorological conditions in the Everglades, and to develop models of ET as a function of solar radiation and water level. A report describing these findings was published in 2000. Data collection continued at selected sites during 1998-2000 to provide data for other studies involved with understanding water levels and flows in the Everglades.

In 2000, new sites were established in Shark Valley Slough, to test transferability of models developed using 1996-97 data, and to refine the understanding of factors related to ET. Also, the ET data and associated meteorological data are important to researchers currently studying processes affecting water levels and sheet flow in the Shark Valley area. Presently (April 2002) there are five continuous ET sites in the Everglades National Park.

Needs & Products: This project provides ET and other meteorological data to managers and other scientists. ET models developed during this project are being used by other scientists for estimating the ET component in hydrologic models.

Application to Everglades Restoration: Information provided by this project and other projects that make use of the data and findings will be used by restoration and resource managers for evaluation of management alternatives. The Everglades ET project supports or has supported the following South Florida Ecosystem Program projects: Southern Inland and Coastal Systems Model Development (Eric Swain); Effect of Wind on Surface Water Flows (Harry Jenter); Interrelation of Everglades Hydrology and Florida Bay Dynamics to Ecosystem Processes and Restoration in South Florida (Ray Schaffranek); Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades model development (Ray Schaffranek and others).