Abstract Introduction >Study Area Aquifer Framework and Definitions Transmissivity, Hydraulic Conductivity and Storage Coefficient Hydrogeology Ground-Water Flow System Summary References Cited PDF Version

Broward County, located near the southern tip of peninsular Florida, encompasses and area of about 1,220 mi² (fig. 1). The county is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Dade County on the south, Palm beach county on the north, and Collier County and Hendry County on the west. The eastern third of Broward County is primarily urban and agricultural; the western two-thirds is water-conservation areas. Early urbanization was along the coast because of good drainage and access to the ocean. Urbanization is now almost fully developed for several miles inland, and land farther west originally drained for agriculture is rapidly being converted into new urban areas. The population of Broward County in 1980 was 1,018,257 (James O'Rourke, Broward County Office of Planning, oral commun., 1985). Geographic areas and place names of Broward County, referred to in this report, are shown in figure 2.

Physiographic features (fig. 4) have significantly controlled the environment, drainage, and ultimately the land use of Broward County. The Atlantic Coastal Ridge, 5 miles or less in width, forms the highest ground in the county from 10 feet above sea level in the south to 22 feet in the north. It is a natural barrier to drainage of the interior, except where it is breached by shallow sloughs or rivers. The Sandy Flatlands, west of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, is lower and prior to development was poorly drained. The Everglades, which covers most of Broward County, is slightly lower than the Sandy Flatlands, and when natural conditions prevailed, is was seasonally inundated. Drainage was slow and general to the south channeled behind the higher coastal area. The Everglades is highest, about 13 feet above sea level, along the Palm Beach County line and lowest, about 5 feet above sea level, in south-central Broward County along the Dade County line.

The predominant soils of the area and their drainage characteristics are shown in. The best drainage by way of infiltration occurs on sands of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and the Sandy Flatlands. Soils having poor drainage cover most of the county. Their low permeability causes ponding. Ponds, particularly in the Everglades, may contain up to several feet of peat and muck.

A complex water-management system, part of the South Florida Water Management System, has been developed to adapt the natural environment to man's needs (fig. 6). Water-conservation areas, bounded by levees and canals, cover most of the area that was previously the Everglades in Broward County. These conservation areas store rainfall and excess wet-season water which is pumped from drainage districts in Broward County and the agricultural area of southwest Palm Beach County, or collected by gravity drainage from east Hendry County. Four large stations, S-7, S-8, S-9, and S-140, pump water from canals into the conservation areas. The stored water is used during periods of low water levels to maintain flow to Everglades National Park to the south, to provide recharge for municipal well fields, and to maintain ground-water levels near the coast for preventing or retarding saltwater intrusion.

A system of nine major canals has been built for long-distance transport of water eastward from the water-conservation areas or from Lake Okeechobee for flow augmentation as described above, or for discharge of excess water either by gravity drainage to the ocean or by pumping to water-conservation areas. These major canals, in conjunction with secondary canals and ditches, are used for rapid removal of excess water. Gates or locks on canals regulate elevations, and retard saltwater intrusion. There are 22 districts in east and central Broward County where water levels are controlled (Roy Reynolds, Broward County Water Resources Management Division, written commun., 1984). The principal functions of most of these districts are drainage of seasonally or intermittently flooded areas and general lowering of ground-water levels to increase the thickness of the unsaturated zone. Unlike the other large pump stations mentioned above, S-13 transfers drainage water toward the ocean rather than pumping water into storage. An important function of some districts is to maintain ground-water levels in the dry season by outseepage or to provide water for flood irrigation. More information about the surface-water system in Broward County is contained in Sherwood and others (1973).

Figure 6. Features of the water-management system in Broward County. [click on the map to view larger images of western and eastern sections]

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