Project Work Plan

Study Title: Integrating EDEN with Real-Time Hydrology and Biological Responses
Study Start Date: 2008   Study End Date: 2010
Web Sites: www.sofia.usgs.gov/eden
Location (Subregions, Counties, Park or Refuge): Greater Everglades
Funding Source: GE PES
Other Complementary Funding Source(s):
South Florida Surface Water Network for the Support of MAP Projects (USACE RECOVER MAP)

Funding History:
FY06, FY07

Principal Investigator(s): Pamela A. Telis, USGS-Fort Lauderdale
Email Address: patelis@usgs.gov
Phone: 904/232-2602   Fax: 904/899-5097
Mail address: 701 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207
Study Personnel: na
Supporting Organizations: USGS

Associated / Linked Studies:
-South Florida Surface Water Network for the Support of MAP Projects (USACE RECOVER MAP)
-Evapotranspiration and Rainfall Data for EDEN Gages

Overview & Objective(s):
EDEN, the Everglades Depth Estimation Network, is a RECOVER Monitoring and Assessment Plan effort funded by the USACE in 2005 through 2007. EDEN is an integrated network of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation modeling, and water-surface modeling that provides scientists and managers with current (1999-present), on-line water-depth information for the greater Everglades. The target users are biologist and ecologist examining trophic level responses to hydrodynamic changes in the Everglades.

The current scope of work will continue operation and maintenance of 25 gaging stations and will implement the hydrologic tools to support biological and ecological assessments of the impacts of the restoration plan for the greater Everglades.

Specific Relevance to Major Unanswered Questions and Information Needs Identified:
Water-level gages provide information for EDEN interpolations of daily water stage that provide spatially-explicit hydrologic predictions necessary for modeling floral and faunal habitat suitability and distributions across the entire Everglades. These models are critical for evaluations of alternative Everglades restoration plans and monitoring of the habitat impacts of surface hydrologic dynamics.

Status:
In FY07, the surface model was enhanced and an analysis of confidence identified several problem areas along boundaries. The daily model surfaces will be posted to the EDENweb in October with metadata and full documentation. The process of computing new daily maps will begin on a quarterly basis beginning in FY08.

EDENweb will be enhanced with additional webpages for EDEN applications such as related to wading birds and water depth, tree islands and water depth, and many more. Additional webpages will provide data to MAP scientists such as ET and rainfall across the everglades on a daily basis. These parameters will serve scientists as they make their biological and ecological assessment of the systems.

Recent Products:

Conrads, P.A. and Roehl, E.A., 2006. Estimating water depths using artificial neural networks. Hydroinformatics 2006, edited by Philippe Gourbesgille, Jean Cunge, Vincent Guinot, Shie-Yui Liong, Vol. 3, p. 1643-1650.

Conrads, P.A. and E. A. Roehl (in preparation). Hydrologic Record Extension of Water-Level Data in the Florida Everglades, 2000-2006. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report.

Jones, J.W. and Price, S.D., 2007. Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) digital elevation model research and development. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1034, 29 pgs.

Jones, John W. and Price, Susan P. 2007. Conceptual design of the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) grid. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1200. 12 pgs.

Pearlstine, Leonard, Aaron Higer, Monica Palaseanu, Ikuko Fujisaki, and Frank Mazzotti, 2007. Spatially Continuous Interpolation of Water Stage and Water Depths Using the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN). University of Florida IFAS Extension, Circular 1521.

Telis, P.A., 2006. The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) for support of ecological and biological assessments. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2006-3087, 4 p.

Planned Products:

Task 1 - Support for management of the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) project; and for the development of supplemental webpages for EDEN biological/ecological applications and data parameters that support GE scientists; and USGS liaison with USACE that ensures that EDEN and other CERP-funded efforts are relevant and timely science for the restoration of the greater Everglades.

WORK PLAN

Title of Task 1: Support for EDEN
Task Funding: USGS Priority Ecosystems Science
Task Leaders: Pamela A. Telis
Phone: 904-232-2602
FAX: 904-899-5097
Task Status (proposed or active): active
Task priority: High
Time Frame for Task 1: FY08

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

1. Serves as project chief of EDEN project
   1. Coordinates all aspects of budgeting, work plan development, status reporting, and product delivery
   2. Managers work tasks of technical team (about 12 PIs)
   3. Serves as primary POC for project with funding agency and others
   4. Ensures that products are on-time and relevant to Everglades Restoration
2. Directs the work of others to create supplemental EDEN webpages
   1. Determines content and priority of webpages
   2. Works directly with scientists providing input to webpages
   3. Makes final decision about format, structure and maintenance plan of pages
3. USGS liaison with USACE
   1. Participates in program development meetings, develops/edits USGS proposals and statements of work.
   2. Coordinates interagency agreements (IAs) under USGS/USACE MOA including assistance in scope of work development, D&F packages for Economy Act approval, and cost estimate development.
   3. Tracks progress of IAs for technical issues, deliverable schedules, funding and invoicing;
      1. Total funding to USGS in FY07
   4. Educates USACE on USGS science mission and seeks opportunities to promote USGS science in USACE decision-making and project planning.
   5. Gains understanding of USACE, Jacksonville District science and data needs to develop a more relevant USGS program for both Florida and PES activities.

Specific Task Product(s):

- Supplemental webpages on the EDENweb for demonstration at the GEER 2008 Conference.
- Find new ways and opportunities to expand program development options for USACE funding to USGS scientists.