it V11 V - a A 4A d66 d A 4 dd4 A CI Ad ii1 A 0 V4A 41 1, tSad * 1994 Extended Wet Sea Hydrologic Condition: A 4t d a ORE 324 SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT Department of Water Resources Evaluation U Ecosystems Research and Implementation Department U Operations and Maintenance Department U Planning Department U Regulation Department U Office of Government and Public Affairs Technical Memorandum 1994 EXTENDED WET SEASON HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS DRE 324 South Florida Water Management District May 1995 1994 Extended Wet Season Hydrologic Conditions Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................ 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 2. METEOROLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF 1994 ..................... .. 3 3. RAINFALL ANALYSIS .................................. SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND FREQUENCY ANALYSIS .............. RAINFALL MEASURING STATIONS WITHIN SUBBASINS OF THE DISTRICT ................................. ..... RAINFALL DATA ANALYSIS ...................... .......... ISOHYTAL MAPS............................................. 4. SYSTEM OPERATION (WATER LEVELS AND DISCHARGES) ...... .... 51 DISTRICT-WIDE WATER LEVELS.......... UPPER KISSIMMEE RIVER BASIN Water Levels Discharges ...................... Flooding Complaints ............ ... .. UPPER EAST COAST W ater Levels ...................... Flooding Complaints ................ LAKE OKEECHOBEE Water Levels Pulse Releases and Regulatory Discharges . Flooding Complaints ................... EVERGLADES AGRICULTURE AREA (EAA) .. Inflows to Lake Okeechobee from EAA .. Flooding Complaints ................ .. WATER CONSERVATION AREAS........... LOWER EAST COAST ...... ............. Water Levels ...................... i Flooding Complaints ................. ~I 5. IMPACTS TO ESTUARIES AND BAYS .................. 105 IMPACTS TO THE CALOOSAHATCHEE ESTUARY DURING THE 1994 WET SEASON...................... 107 Caloosahatchee River System ..................... 107 Salinity Envelope for the Caloosahatchee Estuary ...... 108 Freshwater Input May-December 1994 .............. 108 Salinity Distribution within the Estuary ............. 112 1994 Extended Wet Season Hydrologic Conditions Table of Contents Seagrasses ......... ............................. ...... 116 Conclusions ..................................... 116 IMPACTS TO THE ST. LUCIE ESTUARY DURING THE 1994 WET SEASON 119 St. Lucie Estuary Watershed .................... ............ 119 Environmental Issues: St. Lucie Estuary and Indian River Lagoon ..... .121 Salinity Envelope for the St. Lucie Estuary ......... ..... 121 Freshwater Input .............. ................... .. 122 Salinity Distribution within the Estuary . ........ 112 Conclusions Conclusions................................... 136 Short-Term Management Suggestion .............. ......... 136 CONDITIONS IN FLORIDA BAY DURING THE 1994 WET SEASON 137 Summary .... 137 Rainfall R.............................................. 137 Freshwater Discharge ....... .............................. 138 S .t . 138 Salinity ............. ............................ 140 W ater Quality ....................... -........... ....... 153 Biological Effects Biological.................. Effects .......... .... ...... 154 6. WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS ............................... 155 KISSIMMEE RIVER WATER QUALITY STATUS ..................... 155 S65 .. 65C -............................................... .... 155 LAK. ............. ...................................... 155 LAKE OKEEHOBEE WATER QUALTY STATUS................... 160 LoadingLoading Trends .............. ................. ........... 160 Performance Standards and Trends ............................ 160 Tributary Inflows and Outflows ............... .. ...... 161 Water Quality in Lake Okeechobee . .. - . ...... 161 EVERGLADES WATER QUALITY STATUS .......................... 161 EAA Basin E...............................................178 . ........... 178 Inflow to the Everglades National Park ......................... 178 APPENDICES....... - ........ ......... ..... ................ - ..... ...187 1994 Extended Wet Season Hydrologic Conditions Table of Contents 1994 Extended Wet Season Hydro1o~ic Conditions Table of Contents List of Figures Figure 1., Monthly Rainfall for 1994 ............................................ 4 Figure 2. Basin Rainfall for 1994 ................................................ 4 Figure 3. District-wide Rainfall Anomaly from June 1-December 31, 1994. ......... 6 Figure 4. Rainfall Measuring Stations within Subbasins of the District. .......... 11 Figure 5. Daily and Monthly Rainfall Reporting Areas ..................... 12 Figure 6A. Average Wet Season Rainfall (May-October 31). ................... 41 Figure 6B. Wet Season Rainfall (May 1-October 31, 1994) ..................... 42 Figure 6C. Rainfall Total for May through December 1994 ................... 43 Figure 7A. Monthly Average Rainfall for November ........................ 44 Figure 7B. Monthly Rainfall for November 1994 ........................... 44 Figure 7C. Tropical Storm Gordon (November 15-17, 1994) Rainfall Totals. ....... 45 Figure 7D. Tropical Storm Gordon (November 15-17, 1994) Rainfall 1-Day Maximum. ....... .......... .............................. .. ..... 45 Figure 7E. Tropical Storm Gordon (November 15-17, 1994) Rainfall 2-Day Maximum. ............................................. 46 Figure 8A. Monthly Average Rainfall for December .......................... 47 Figure 8B. Monthly Rainfall for December 1994. ......................... 48 Figure 8C. Rainfall Total for December 5, 1994 ............................. 49 Figure 8D. Rainfall Total for December 21-22, 1994. ......................... 50 Figure 8E. December 21-22, 1994 Rainfall 1-Day Maximum. .................. 50 Figure 9A. Water Levels and Regulations Schedules for Major Lakes in the Upper Kissimmee River Basin. .................................. 52 Figure 9B. Water Levels and Regulation Schedules for Major Lakes in the Upper Kissimmee River Basin .................................. 53 Figure Water Levels and Regulation Schedule for Lake Kissimmee ........... 54 Figure Orange County Flooded Areas ............ ................... 59 Figure Osceola County Flooded Areas . ....................... ........ 60 Figure Martin County Flooded Areas. ................................. 64 Figure St. Lucie County Flooded Areas ................ ............... 65 Figure Lake Okeechobee Water Levels and Regulation Schedules (May-Dec.). ... 67 Figure Okeechobee County Flooded Areas. ........... ................... 72 Figure Highlands County Flooded Areas ................ ...... ......... 73 Figure Lee and Charlotte Counties' Flooded Areas ........................ 74 Figure Collier County Flooded Areas. ........................ .......... 75 Figure Henry County Flooded Areas. ................................. 76 Figure Water Levels and Regulation Schedules for WCA 1 (May-Dec. 1994) . 81 Figure Water Levels and Regulation Schedules for WCA 2A (May-Dec. 1994). .. 82 Figure Water Levels and Regulation Schedules for WCA 3A (May-Dec. 1994). .. 83 Figure Proposed Temporary Deviation to Regulation Schedule for 1994 ....... 84 Figure Broward County Flooded Areas ............................... 101 Figure Dade County Flooded Areas. ................................ 102 Figure Palm Beach County Flooded Areas ................................ 103 Figure Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule Run 25 with 3 Pulse Releases . 106 Figure Caloosahatchee River System .................. .............. 109 1994 Extended Wet Season Hydrologic Conditions Table of Contents Figure 30. Salinity sensors and seagrass sampling stations in the Caloosahatchee Estuary ......................................... 110 Figure 31. Salinity in the Caloosahatchee Estuary at various freshwater inflows ..... 111 Figure 32. Frequency distributions of mean monthly discharges at S-79 (May-Dec. 1994) .............................................. 113 Figure Distribution of salinity in the Caloosahatchee Estuary ................ 114 Figure Distribution of salinity in the Caloosahatchee Estuary (May-Dec. 1994) ... 115 Figure Mean blade density and blade lengths of seagrasses in San Carlos Bay ... 117 Figure St. Lucie Estuary Watershed ................................. 120 Figure Salinity gradients and preferred salinity envelope for the St. Lucie Estuary ...................................... 123 Figure 38. Historical and 1994 wet season flows to the St. Lucie Estuary ......... 124 Figure 39. Historical and 1994 wet season salinity gradients for the St. Lucie Estuary ...................................... 125 Figure 40. Salinity envelope for the St. Lucie Estuary (May-Dec. 1994) .......... 126 Figure 41. Salinity gradients for the St. Lucie Estuary (Oct.-Dec. 1994) .......... 129 Figure 42. Salinity distribution in the Indian River Lagoon (July 12, 1994) ........ 130 Figure 43. Salinity distribution in the Indian River Lagoon (Oct. 10, 1994) ........ 131 Figure 44. Salinity distribution in the Indian River Lagoon (Jan. 9, 1994) .......... 132 Figure 45. Water color in the Indian River Lagoon (July 12, 1994) ............. 133 Figure 46. Water color in the Indian River Lagoon (Oct. 10, 1994) ............. 134 Figure 47. Water color in the Indian River Lagoon (Jan. 9, 1994) .............. 135 Figure 48. Rainfall at S18c (1987-1994) ................................ 138 Figure 49. Freshwater flow to the southern Everglades ...................... 139 Figure 50. Storm event