Project Work Plan

Overview & Objectives:
Proposed modified water deliveries to Indian Tribal Lands, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Water Conservation Area 3A require that flow and nutrient loads at critical points in the interior surface water network be measured. Defining the foundation for water levels, flows, and nutrient loads has become an important baseline for Storm Treatment Area 5 and 6 development, recent C-139 Basin flow re-diversions, and future L-28 Interceptor Canal de-compartmentalization including flow rerouting into the Big Cypress Preserve. Flow monitoring for the two primary flow routes for both L-28 Interceptor Canal and L-28 is key to developing this framework.

Specific Relevance to Major Unanswered Questions and Information Needs Identified:
Flow and total phosphorus budget summaries are critical to the newer non-point EPA guidelines and in turn are integral to several of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP) planning objectives that rely heavily on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) calculations. Analysis of Storm Treatment Area and Best Management Practice outcomes can only be evaluated through baseline data monitoring efforts. These data sets will define parameters for de-compartmentalization and Tribal Reservation flow re-routing initiatives currently under evaluation.

The study supports Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement by monitoring the canal inflow and nutrient totals exiting the Seminole Reservation from the West and North Feeder Canals, and the headwaters of the L-3, L-4, and L-28 canal intersections. Flow and nutrient load products from both L-28 Interceptor and L-28 Canals eventual discharge into Conservation Area 3A. Baseline quantification of flow and nutrient totals are critical for defining the success of recent Best Management Nutrient load reduction initiatives for both water-ways. Proposed backfilling of the L-28 Interceptor Canal and subsequent re-diversion of flows from Conservation Area 3A and into the Big Cypress Preserve is an import baseline prerequisite prior to flow reapportionment outside the current 3A boundaries.

The study supports Comprehensive Integrated Water Quality Feasibility Study by developing water quality targets for ecosystem restoration. The success of Best Management Practices along with the implementation of Storm Treatment Areas (STA) 5 and 6 can be evaluated based on the baseline total phosphorus load totals resulting from these two critically monitored conservation area inflow points.

Finally this study supports the Ecosystem Restoration mission delineated in the Five Year Science Plan for the Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC).

Status:
Provisional analysis and computation of 2005 water year flows continues along with acoustic flow rating calibration and auto-sampler servicing by Seminole Tribe water resource staff for both flow-weighted acoustic auto-sampler sites. Pre-publication data sets continue to be transferred to SFWMD support staff for nutrient load computation and inclusion in the “Ninth Progress Report for May 1, 2004 through April 30, 2005” for the Seminole Tribe Working Group.

Recent Products: (Open File Report 02-285) Feasibility of Estimating Constituent Concentrations and Loads Based on Data Recorded by Acoustic Instrumentation, (Water Data Report FL-04-2A) Water Resource Data, Florida, Water year 2004, Ninth Progress Report for May 1, 2004 through April 30, 2005” for the Seminole Tribe Working Group.

Planned Products: (Water Data Report FL-05-2A) Water Resource Data, Florida, Water Year, 2005, Tenth Progress Report for May 1, 2005 through Apr. 30, 2006” for the Seminole Tribe Working Group.

WORK PLAN

Title of Task 1: Rating calibration, analysis, processing, and publication of stage and discharge data at 2 primary flow-way sites
Task Funding: USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science (GE PES); the Seminole Tribe of Florida
Task Leaders: Ricardo Solis
Phone: 954-377-5948
FAX: 954-377-5901
Task Status (proposed or active): active
Task Priority: high
Budget Time Frame for Task 1: FY06: October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006.
Task Personnel: Rick Solis,
Task Summary and Objectives: Continue velocity rating refinement and calibration of both the travel-time Acoustic Velocity Meter system at the L-28U site and the side-looking Doppler acoustic system at the L-28IN site. The objectives of this task are to monitor tele-metered velocities and channel area so real-time auto-sampler flow-weighted nutrient load volume triggers are maintained. Provisional discharges will continue to be analyzed and processed and forwarded to the Seminole/SFWMD Working Group. Final quality assured water-level and flow to be published annually in the publication, Water Resource Data, Florida, Volume 2A.

Work to be undertaken during the proposal year and a description of the methods and procedures:
FY06:

1. Continue calibration and refinement of both the AVM and Side-looking Doppler acoustic velocity index ratings utilizing the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Requests to the SFWMD control room will be submitted to vary pump rpm at the S-140 pump structure and to regulate the S-190 gate structures in attempts to achieve variable velocity regimes simulating expected flow rates in both the L-28 and L-28 Interceptor Canals respectively.
2. Provisional analysis and computation of provisional flows will be provided to the Seminole/SFWMD Working group for inclusion in the Ninth and Tenth semi-annual Data Progress Reports produced periodically by SFWMD staff. Data quality assurance reviews will continue throughout each water year culminating in the publication of daily mean water levels and discharge for these sites in the USGS report entitled, Water Resource Data, Florida, Vol. 2A. Efforts to provide information to appropriate electronic outlets (e.g. SOFIA site) will continue.
3. Participation in the Seminole/SFWMD Working Group subcommittee will continue during the 2006 water year. This committee is committed to evaluating provisional analysis from Seminole Tribe autosamplers and combining those nutrient samples with USGS flows, coordinating troubleshooting requirements between agencies and Tribes, and developing and documenting protocols where changes in established quality assurance doctrine are required.

Flow and total phosphorus budget summaries are critical to the newer non-point EPA guidelines. These summaries are in turn integral to several of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP) planning objectives that rely heavily on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) calculations such as the Comprehensive Integrated Water Quality Feasibility Study. Analysis of Storm Treatment Area outflows and Best Management Practices can only be evaluated through baseline data monitoring efforts. These data sets will assist in defining adaptive management approaches for de-compartmentalization and Tribal Reservation flow re-routing initiatives currently under evaluation through the Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement Study.

Specific Task Products(s): Provisional semi-annual daily stage and discharge computations will be made available in May and November 2005 for inclusion in the “Ninth Progress Report for May 1, 2004 through April 30, 2005” and “Tenth Progress Report for May 1, 2005 through April 30, 2006.” Final daily stage and discharge will be made available in April 2006 and published through the “WDR- FL-05-2A, Water Resource Data, Florida, Water year 2005”.