Extent of Areal Inundation of Riverine Wetlands Along Five River Systems in the Upper Hillsborough River Watershed, West-Central Florida
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Extent of Areal Inundation of Riverine Wetlands Along Five River Systems in the Upper Hillsborough River Watershed, West-Central Florida By B.R. Lewelling In cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5133 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2004 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Lewelling, B.R., 2004, Extent of Areal Inundation of Riverine Wetlands Along Five River Systems in the Upper Hillsborough River Watershed, West-Central Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5133, 49 p., plus appendixes. iii CONTENTS Abstract. 1 Introduction . 1 Purpose and Scope . 2 Previous Investigations. 3 Description of the Study Area . 3 Methodology. 4 Hillsborough River. 7 New River. 15 Blackwater Creek . 27 Itchepackesassa Creek . 35 East Canal. 38 Summary. 41 Selected References. 47 Appendixes: Hillsborough River–– 1. Extent of inundation at cross sections along the Hillsborough River for selected percentile discharges . A 2 2. Hydraulic depth at cross sections along the Hillsborough River for selected percentile discharges . A 4 3. Acreage of areal inundation between adjacent cross sections along Hillsborough River. A 6 4. Decrease of inundated acreage resulting from a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal at cross sections along Hillsborough River . A 8 New River–– 5. Extent of inundation at cross sections along New River for selected percentile discharges . A 10 6. Hydraulic depth at cross sections along New River for selected percentile discharges . A 11 7. Acreage of areal inundation between adjacent cross sections along New River. A 12 8. Decrease of inundated acreage resulting from a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal at cross sections along New River . A 13 Blackwater Creek–– 9. Extent of inundation at cross sections along Blackwater Creek for selected percentile discharges . A 14 10. Hydraulic depth at cross sections along Blackwater Creek for selected percentile discharges. A 16 11. Acreage of areal inundation between adjacent cross sections along Blackwater Creek . A 18 12. Decrease of inundated acreage resulting from a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal at cross sections along Blackwater Creek. A 20 Itchepackesassa Creek–– 13. Extent of inundation at cross sections along Itchepackesassa Creek for selected percentile discharges . A 22 14. Hydraulic depth at cross sections along Itchepackesassa Creek for selected percentile discharges . A 23 15. Acreage of areal inundation between adjacent cross sections along Itchepackesassa Creek . A 24 16. Decrease of inundated acreage resulting from a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal at cross sections along Itchepackesassa Creek. A 25 East Canal–– 17. Extent of inundation at cross sections along East Canal for selected percentile discharges . A 26 18. Hydraulic depth at cross sections along East Canal for selected percentile discharges . A 27 19. Acreage of areal inundation between adjacent cross sections along East Canal. A 28 20. Decrease of inundated acreage resulting from a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal at cross sections along East Canal . A 29 iv FIGURES 1. Map showing location of study area including the Hillsborough and New Rivers, Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks, and East Canal, west-central Florida . .2 2. Example cross section showing Manning’s n-values, subareas, and water-surface elevation. .4 3-4. Graphs showing: 3. Duration curves of daily mean discharge at four upper Hillsborough River gaging stations for the concurrent period 1984-2000, the New River near Zephyrhills gaging station for the period 1965-1974, and the Blackwater Creek near Knights gaging station for the period 1973-2001. .5 4. Comparison of duration curves of daily mean discharge for selected periods of record at the Hillsborough River near Zephyrhills gaging station . .6 5. Map showing location of the Hillsborough River study reach and cross sections, and the Morris Bridge, Zephyrhills, Crystal Springs, and Withlacoochee-Hillsborough Overflow gaging stations, west-central Florida . .8 6. Graph showing Hillsborough River water-surface profiles for the selected percentile discharges and the effects of a 10-percent discharge withdrawal, from the Morris Bridge to the Withla- coochee-Hillsborough Overflow gaging stations, based on the 17-year period 1984-2000. 11 7. Diagram showing extent of areal inundation along reaches 1-3 of the Hillsborough River study channel and floodplain for selected percentile discharges. 12-14 8-9. Graphs showing: 8. Estimated extent and frequency of areal inundation and hydraulic depth at Hillsborough River cross sections 30 and 41 for each of the selected percentile discharges and the potential 10-percent withdrawal in discharge, based on the 17-year period 1984-2000. 16 9. Estimated total inundated area along Hillsborough River for existing conditions and for a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal, and percentage of inundated area decreased by a potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal for each of the selected percentile discharges . 18 10. Diagram showing example of extent of areal inundation along reaches 1-3 of the Hillsborough River study channel and floodplain for the P95 (existing conditions) and the P95-10 (potential 10-percent discharge withdrawal) discharges. 19-21 11. Map showing location of the New River study reach and cross sections, and the Zephyrhills gaging station, west-central Florida. .22. 12. Graph showing New River water-surface profiles for six selected percentile discharges and the effects of a 10-percent discharge withdrawal, from the mouth to cross section 8.46, based on the 10-year period 1965-1974. 23 13. Diagram showing extent of areal inundation along reaches 1 and 2 of the New River study channel and floodplain for selected percentile discharges. ..