Hydrology, Water Budget, and Water Chemistry of Lake Panasoffkee, West-Central Florida
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Prepared in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District Hydrology, Water Budget, and Water Chemistry of Lake Panasoffkee, West-Central Florida Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5237 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Hydrology, Water Budget, and Water Chemistry of Lake Panasoffkee, West-Central Florida By W. Scott McBride, Jason C. Bellino, and Amy Swancar Prepared in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5237 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2011 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names 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: McBride, W.S., Bellino, J.C., and Swancar, Amy, 2011, Hydrology, water budget, and water chemistry of Lake Panasoffkee, west-central Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5237, 96 p. iii Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................3 Purpose and Scope .....................................................................................................................................3 Previous Studies ..........................................................................................................................................5 Description of Study Area ..........................................................................................................................5 Physiography ................................................................................................................................................5 Tributaries and Springs ...............................................................................................................................9 Methods of Investigation ...................................................................................................................................15 Measurement of Streamflow and Spring Flow ....................................................................................15 Measurement of Groundwater Levels ..................................................................................................17 Geospatial Techniques .............................................................................................................................20 Calculation of Evaporation and Groundwater Inflow .........................................................................21 Collection of Precipitation Data ..............................................................................................................22 Determination of Lake Volume and Change in Storage .....................................................................22 Geophysical Measurements ...................................................................................................................25 Water Chemistry Sampling Methods and Analysis ............................................................................25 Hydrogeology .......................................................................................................................................................30 Surficial Aquifer .........................................................................................................................................35 Intermediate Confining Unit .....................................................................................................................35 Upper Floridan Aquifer .............................................................................................................................35 Middle Confining Units I and II ................................................................................................................36 Lower Floridan Aquifer .............................................................................................................................39 Groundwater Levels, Contributing Areas, and Differences in Head ...............................................39 Geophysics ..................................................................................................................................................48 Surface-Water Hydrology .................................................................................................................................49 Streamflow ..................................................................................................................................................49 Spring Inflows ............................................................................................................................................51 Ungaged Flow .............................................................................................................................................51 Lake Level ....................................................................................................................................................51 Streamflow Gains and Losses.................................................................................................................53 Water Budget .......................................................................................................................................................55 Precipitation ................................................................................................................................................56 Evaporation .................................................................................................................................................57 Onsite Septic Wastewater-Treatment Systems ..................................................................................58 Groundwater Inflow ..................................................................................................................................58 Comparisons to Earlier Water-Budget Study .......................................................................................63 Water Chemistry ..................................................................................................................................................64 Major Ions ...................................................................................................................................................64 Sources of Sulfate .....................................................................................................................................67 iv Isotopes .......................................................................................................................................................67 Strontium ............................................................................................................................................67 Deuterium and Oxygen-18 ..............................................................................................................71 Age Dating ...................................................................................................................................................73 Carbon-14 and Tritium .....................................................................................................................73 Sulfur Hexafluoride ..........................................................................................................................73 Summary ...............................................................................................................................................................77 AcknowMedgments ...............................................................................................................................................80 References Cited .................................................................................................................................................80 Appendix 1. Elevation of water levels in all wells used to create Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface maps .............................................................................................................85 Appendix 2. Major ion, nutrient, and field parameter water-quality data from the Lake Panasoffkee study area, July 2007, and December 2008 through January 2009 ...........93 Figures 1–5. Maps showing: . 1 Location of Lake Panasoffkee in west-central Florida.....................................................4 . 2 Lake Panasoffkee surface-water drainage basin and watershed boundary .............6 . 3 Physiographic