SUMMARY OF DOI RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCIENCE NEEDS RELATED TO WATER PROJECTS IN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, BISCAYNE BAY, AND THE FLORIDA KEYS
Major DOI Responsibilities and Interests	Major Unanswered Questions	Needed Science	Timeline
Help ensure that hydrologic performance targets accurately reflect the natural predrainage hydrology and ecology (DOI CERP partnership responsibility)	Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement
	What were the physical and ecological conditions in the Greater Everglades prior to drainage and modification, including Current and historic hydrologic, geologic, ecological, and water quality conditions physical, chemical, and biological processes responsible for development and persistence of soils and geomorphological patterns in the historical Everglades landscape What are the hydrologic targets needed to mimic historic flows, including water depths, timing, and distribution?	Additional research to understand the linkages among the geologic, hydrologic, chemical, climatologically, and biological processes that shaped the predrainage Everglades	NEPA Scoping Phase 1: TBD Phase 2: 2010 (NOTE - schedule under revision)
	Combined Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP), Including the C-111 Spreader Canal
	What are the operating protocols needed to mimic natural flows through Everglades National Park? What impact will increased freshwater flows have on coastal communities? What water quality hazards are associated with using water derived from agricultural basins to augment flows into natural areas?	Research and possible model refinement to support the refinement of hydrologic targets and operating protocols Information on evapotranspiration (ET) and how it is regulated in the Greater Everglades is necessary to determine overall hydrologic budgets and to predict how hydrologic changes will affect the natural systems. Modeling to predict salinity in the mangrove community and northeast Florida Bay Environmental risk assessments of water quality contaminants	NEPA Scoping CSOP March 2004 C-111 Spreader Canal August 2004
	Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands
	How much freshwater, and in what seasonal patterns, was delivered historically to Biscayne Bay? What are the water quality performance targets for estuarine systems?	Additional research to understand predrainage hydrology Biscayne Bay hydrologic model Research to determine the sensitivity of marine organisms and potential -biomagnification	NEPA Scoping June 2006
	Additional Water for Everglades National Park and Biscayne Bay Feasibility Study
	The science needs listed above under Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement and Combined Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP), Including the C111 Spreader Canal also meet needs for this project. Therefore any unanswered questions would have to be timed to meet the needs of the first of these 3 projects that come on line. (reference the 2 project above). What were the physical and ecological conditions in Shark River and Taylor Sloughs and Biscayne Bay prior to drainage and modification, including historic hydrologic, geologic, ecological, and water quality conditions physical, chemical, and biological processes responsible for development and persistence of soils and geomorphological patterns in the historic landscape what were the historic salinity patterns in Biscayne Bay What are the hydrologic targets needed to mimic historic flows, including water depths, timing, and distribution, in the Everglades and the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands? How will natural flows in Taylor Slough change the quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of flows into Barnes and Card Sounds? How much additional water is needed to mimic the predrainage hydrology in Everglades and Biscayne Bay National Parks? What are the water quality hazards and how can they be avoided?	Analysis of historic conditions in Everglades National Park and southern Biscayne Bay Environmental risk assessment of water quality contaminants	NEPA Scoping TBD
	Wastewater Reuse Pilot Project
	What constituents of wastewater pose a potentially significant risk to the ecosystems in which they are introduced? What is the risk of these constituents to downstream ecosystems?	Environmental risk assessments of water quality contaminants Criteria for site selection of pilot.	NEPA Scoping TBD
	Florida Bay and Florida Keys Feasibility Study
	What are the links between the impediment to circulation created by the causeway and the ecology of Florida Bay, and particularly the coral reefs that have grown up around the causeway? What are the water quality hazards associated with wastewater disposal in the bay and how can they be avoided? What are the sources of nitrogen to Florida Bay and what are the impacts of elevated nitrogen levels?	Models to simulate how restoration projects will alter the hydrology of Florida Bay Water quality studies	NEPA Scoping Completed
Major DOI Responsibilities and Interests	Major Unanswered Questions	Needed Science	Timeline
Help ensure that hydrologic performance targets protect threatened and endangered species and promote fish, wildlife, and park values (consultations on project design related to DOI stewardship responsibilities)	Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement
	How are hydrologic changes expected to affect tree islands, ridge and slough habitats, and marl prairies? What are the effects of hydrologic barriers on nutrient cycling and transport, and on the movement of invasive and exotic species? How will hydrologic changes affect the variety of wildlife species that depend on the Everglades marshes?	Research to understand the critical factors for sustaining tree islands, ridge and slough habitats, and marl prairies Methods to evaluate sheetflow patterns and volumes are necessary in ridge and slough communities and near tree islands in areas likely to be impacted by restoration projects. Research to understand and reduce the effects of hydrologic barriers on ecological connectivity Research to understand and reduce the effects of roads, levees, and canals on the spread of exotic species Additional research to understand the effects of different hydrologic regimes and ecological processes on restoring and maintaining ecosystem composition and function. Process-level investigations on the mechanisms controlling the interaction between biological and hydrological indicators are necessary. Identification of current stressors that are affecting the system	EIS Review, Section 7 Consultation, and CAR Phase 1 Draft: TBD Final: TBD Phase 2:-TBD (Schedule under revision)
	Combined Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP), Including the C111 Spreader Canal
	For a given set of hydrologic targets for the CSOP, what floral and faunal responses can be expected? How close are they to the predrainage ecology?	Improvement of ecological models to make them more suitable for application and analysis	EIS Review, Section 7 Consultation, and CAR CSOP Draft: December 2006 Final: July 2007 C-111 Spreader Canal Draft: July 2006 Final Feb 2007
	Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands
	What are the links between hydrology and ecology in the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands? What are the critical factors that contribute to suitable habitat for manatees, crocodiles, smalltooth sawfish, sea turtles, wood storks, bald eagles, and eastern indigo snakes? How will the project alternatives affect habitat for threatened and endangered species? What is the "pollution clearing" capacity of the wetlands and what is the potential for biomagnification	Additional research to understand the links between hydrology, coastal salinity, and ecology Research of critical habitat factors for threatened and endangered species Research to determine the clearing and saturation capacities of sawgrass and mangrove habitats	EIS Review, Section 7 Consultation, and CAR Draft: Dec 2005 Final: May 2006
	Additional Water for Everglades National Park and Biscayne Bay Feasibility Study
	The science needs listed above under Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement and Combined Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP), Including the C111 Spreader Canal also meet needs for this project. Therefore any unanswered questions would have to be timed to meet the needs of the first of these 3 projects that come on line. (reference the 2 project above).		TBD
	Wastewater Reuse Pilot Project
	What are the effects of Waste Water Reuse on fish and wildlife?	An inventory of Waste Water Reuse constituents and their biotic tolerances
	Florida Bay and Florida Keys Feasibility Study
	What are the links between freshwater inflows to Florida Bay and the ecology of the bay? What are the links between the impediment to circulation created by the causeway and the coral reefs that have grown up around the causeway? Will the increased flow of fresh water flowing through the Everglades into Florida Bay have any measurable chemical effect on off shore waters?	Modeling of ecological responses to hydrologic change. Indicator groups that should be represented in these evaluations include coral reef species estuarine fish (coastal marshes and streams) wading birds (e.g., spoonbills, egrets), marine fish (e.g. spotted sea trout, mangrove snapper) submerged aquatic vegetation (sea grasses) mangrove forest species federally listed species (American crocodiles) Dilution studies combined with hydrodynamic models for Florida Bay that extend onto the offshore platform	EIS Review, Section 7 Consultation, and CAR Draft : July 2008 Final: March 2009
Major DOI Responsibilities and Interests	Major Unanswered Questions	Needed Science	Timeline
Assess the responses of ecological communities and species as a basis for adaptive management (continuation of DOI responsibilities outlined above)	Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement
	What are the effects of hydrologic changes on the Everglades natural system?	Baseline studies and monitoring: MAP components: plant community species composition, cover, and density in marl prairie and ridge and slough habitats in the southern Everglades wading bird nesting colony location, size, and timing in freshwater marshes American alligator population recovery and the role of alligator holes as aquatic refugia in major Everglades slough habitats fish and invertebrate sampling studies wood stork nesting and population monitoring American crocodile population monitoring habitat conditions on tree islands and conditions for restoration of historic tree island distribution and abundance Additional DOI monitoring needs: species composition, cover, and density in tree islands eastern indigo snakes West Indian manatee use of canals migratory bird occurrence and abundance exotic fish species snail kite habitat condition, nesting, and productivity Cape Sable seaside sparrow population monitoring wood stork habitat use, productivity, and survival processes affecting soil accretion, tree island restoration, and maintenance of the ridge and slough landscape pattern response of coastal communities to simultaneous effects of increased freshwater flows and sea-level rise Vegetation community monitoring in Taylor Slough and the Rocky Glades Freshwater marsh fish and invertebrate monitoring in the southern Everglades Mangrove landbirds	Post-implementation monitoring and assessment Phase 1 Completion: October 2010 Phase 2 Completion: April 2015
	Combined Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP), Including the C111 Spreader Canal
	Is the CSOP achieving the anticipated results? What are the effects on the Cape Sable seaside sparrow and Everglade snail kite? How will alterations in water deliveries through the C-111 and Model Lands affect the macro and micro biotic communities in Barnes and Card Sounds?	Development of methodology to quantify ecological connectivity especially across major potential barriers of flow such as Tamiami Trail and Alligator Alley Monitoring of ecological communities and threatened and endangered species: vegetation, periphyton, and aquatic communities in the vicinity of the proposed C-111 buffers Everglade snail kite Cape Sable seaside sparrow Detailed community descriptions for Barnes And Card Sounds	Post-implementation monitoring and assessment CSOP Project Completion: February 2008 C-111 Spreader Canal Project Completion: March 2009
	Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands
	What are the key indicators of a natural ecological response in the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands? What are the baseline conditions of the indicators?	Baseline ecological data: vegetation coverage West Indian manatee American crocodile roseate spoonbill	Post-implementation monitoring and assessment Project Completion: December 2015
	Additional Water for Everglades National Park and Biscayne Bay Feasibility Study
	Refer to the questions and science needs listed above under Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement and Combined Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP), Including the C111 Spreader Canal
	Wastewater Reuse Pilot Project
	What concentrations of known and EPOC's start to affect the primary trophic levels of marine and estuarine communities	Research to document the sensitivity of marine organisms and quantify the potential magnitude of biomagnifications that might occur in juvenile and nursery habitats
	Florida Bay and Florida Keys Feasibility Study
	What is the ecological response to hydrologic change?	Monitoring to assess ecological responses to hydrologic change: estuarine fish (coastal marshes and streams) wading birds (e.g., spoonbills, egrets) marine fish (e.g. spotted sea trout, mangrove snapper) submerged aquatic vegetation (sea grasses) mangrove forest species federally listed species (American crocodiles)	Post-implementation monitoring and assessment Project completion: TBD