Mosquito Lagoon Environmental Resources Inventory
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NASA Technical Memorandum 107548 Mosquito Lagoon Environmental Resources Inventory J. A. Provancha, C. R. Hall and D. M. Oddy, The Bionetics Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899 March 1992 National Aeronautics and Space Administration TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................... _................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 1 CLIMATE ................................................. ....................................................................................... 2 LAND USE ..................................................................................................................................... 6 VEGETATION .............................................................................................................................. 11 GEOHYDROLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 13 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ................................................................................... 24 FISHES ........................................................................................................................................ 53 SEA TURTLES ........................................................................................................................... 58 WADING BIRDS ......................................................................................................................... 60 MARINE MAMMALS .................................................................................................................. 61 INVERTEBRATES ...................................................................................................................... 65 SHELLFISH ................................................................................................................................ 66 MOSQUITO CONTROL ............................................................................................................. 68 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................. 69 APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................... 75 APPENDIX B............................................................................................................................... 88 APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................... 90 APPENDIXD...............................................................................................................................92 APPENDIXE...............................................................................................................................93 APPENDIXF.............................................................................................................................101 ,oo III LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Relative Location of Mosquito Lagoon on the East Central Coast of Florida and its Proximity to the Indian River and Banana River (as modified by Clapp 1987) ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Mean Minimum and Maximum Monthly Air Temperatures for the 28 Year Period between 1957 and 1985 at Cape Canaveral, Florida (Mailander 1990) .............. 4 Figure 3. Regional Pattern of Annual Rainfall for Mosquito Lagoon and the East Central Coast of Flodda (Rao 1987) ......................................................................................... 5 Figure 4. Climate Diagram for the Mosquito Lagoon Region Based on Data Collected at Cape Canaveral, Florida (Mailander 1990) ........................................................................ 7 Figure 5. Mean Monthly Solar Insolation for the Cape Canaveral Region (Mailander 1990) ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 6. Mosquito Lagoon Sub-Basin Designation within the Northern Part of the Indian River Lagoon System (Clapp 1987) ........................................................................... 10 Figure 7. The Distribution of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Mosquito Lagoon, Based on Groundtruthing and Interpretation of 1983 and 1986 Imagery ........................ 14 Figure 8. Locations of the Six Seagrass Transects Monitored Annually in Mosquito Lagoon by the Bionetics Corporation for NASA's Ecological Program ........................... 15 Figure 9. Temporal Variation in the Percent Coverage of Seagrass along Three Transects Located in Southem Mosquito Lagoon ............................................................... 16 Figure 10. Diagrammatic Representation of Geohydrologic Setting Beneath Mosquito Lagoon (Schmalzer and Hinkle 1990b and Clark 1987) ................................................... 19 Figure 11. Diagrammatic Representation of Groundwater Recharge and Flow through the Surficial Aquifer on North Merritt Island (taken from Schmalzer and Hinkle 1990b after Clark 1987) ......................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 12. Locations of Surficial Aquifer Recharge Zones on the Kennedy Space Center and Related Areas of Mosquito Lagoon (taken from Schmalzer and Hinkle 1990b after Clark 1987) ............................................................................................................ 23 Figure 13. Hydrograph of Surficial Aquifer Levels Showing the Response to Monthly Rainfall Levels (Clark 1987) ..................................................................................................... 26 Figure 14. Summary of STORET Water Quality Data for Samples Collected between 1970 and 1987 from the New Smyrna and Edgewater Region of Mosquito Lagoon (Hand et al. 1988) ...................................................................................................................... 28 iv Figure 14 (continued). Summary of STORET Water Quality Data for Samples Collected Between 1970 and 1987 from the New Smyrna and Edgewater Region of Mosquito Lagoon (Hand et al. 1988) ...................................................................................... 29 Figure 15. Location of Historic Water Quality Sampling Stations in Mosquito Lagoon Based on Latitude and Longitude Data from the Environmental Protection Agency STORET Database (1970-1987) ............................................................................................. 32 Figure 16. Locations of Current Volusia County and Brevard County Water Quality Stations in Mosquito Lagoon ................................................................................................... 34 Figure 17. Results of Sediment Chemistry Analyses for Lead at Four Different Locations in Mosquito Lagoon. Data Values that Occur above the Expected Relationship with Aluminum Suggest the Presence of Pollution ...................................... 38 Figure 18. Results of Sediment Chemistry Analyses for Copper at Four Different Locations in Mosquito Lagoon. Data Values that Occur above the Expected Relationship with Aluminum Suggest the Presence of Pollution ...................................... 39 Figure 19. Results of Sediment Chemistry Analyses for Zinc at Four Different Locations in Mosquito Lagoon. Data Values that Occur above the Expected Relationship with Aluminum Suggest the Presence of Pollution ...................................... 40 Figure 20. Results of Hourly Temperature Monitoring for a Three Week Period beginning November 1988 in Mosquito Lagoon, Banana Creek, and Banana River. ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Figure 21. Results of Hourly Temperature Monitoring for a Three Day Period in December 1988 and December 1989 ................................................................................... 42 Figure 22. Results of Hourly Water Temperature Monitoring for a Three Week Period beginning May 1989 in Mosquito Lagoon, Banana Creek, and Banana River .............. 43 Figure 23. Results of Hourly Dissolved Oxygen Monitoring during a 48 Hour Period following Observation of a Major Fish Kill in Banana Creek on July 17, 1984 .............................................................................................................................................. 44 Figure 24. Results of Monthly Water Level Monitoring by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Mosquito Lagoon, Banana Creek, and Banana River between 1984 and 1989 .............................................................................................................................................. 46 Figure 25. Results of Monthly Salinity