NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS CCMA 145 National Status and Trends Program for Marine Environmental Quality Biscayne Bay: Environmental History and Annotated Bibliography Silver Spring, Maryland July 2000 US Department of Commerce noaa NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 1305 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 Notice This report has been reviewed by the National Ocean Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and approved for publication. Such approval does not signify that the contents of this report necessarily represent the official position of NOAA or of the Government of the United States, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS CCMA 145 Biscayne Bay: Environmental History and Annotated Bibliography A. Y. Cantillo, K. Hale, E. Collins, L. Pikula and R. Caballero Silver Spring, Maryland July 2000 United States National Oceanic and Department of Commerce Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service William M. Daley D. James Baker Nancy Foster Secretary Under Secretary Assistant Administrator TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................................i LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................................................ii ACRONYMS.........................................................................................................................iv 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1 2. INFORMATION GATHERING METHODS................................................................................2 3. GENERAL DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................2 3.1. North Bay........................................................................................................3 3.2. Central Bay.....................................................................................................3 3.3. South Bay........................................................................................................3 4. HISTORY.........................................................................................................................6 4.1 Pre 1910s........................................................................................................6 4.2. 1920s.............................................................................................................19 4.3. 1930s.............................................................................................................24 4.4. 1940s.............................................................................................................29 4.5. 1950s.............................................................................................................34 4.6. 1960s.............................................................................................................36 4.7. 1970s.............................................................................................................37 4.8. 1980s.............................................................................................................37 4.9. 1990s.............................................................................................................39 5. METEOROLOGY................................................................................................................41 5.1. Solar cycles....................................................................................................41 5.2. El Niño Southern Oscillation..............................................................................42 5.3. Hurricanes......................................................................................................42 5.3.1. Hurricane of 1906............................................................................43 5.3.2. Hurricane of 1926............................................................................43 5.3.3. Hurricane of 1945............................................................................43 5.3.4. Hurricanes Donna, Cleo and Betsy.....................................................45 5.3.5. Hurricane Andrew............................................................................45 5.4. Rainfall and temperature..................................................................................46 5.5. Sea level change..............................................................................................46 5.6. Soil subsidence................................................................................................46 6. GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES..............................................................................................47 6.1. Rivers, channels, cuts and canals.....................................................................47 6.1.1. Rivers..............................................................................................47 6.1.1.1. Miami River......................................................................47 6.1.1.2. Oleta River........................................................................49 6.1.1.3. Arch Creek........................................................................49 6.1.2. Channels and cuts.............................................................................50 6.1.2.1. Safety Valve.....................................................................50 6.1.2.2. Bear Cut............................................................................50 6.1.2.3. Norris Cut.........................................................................50 6.1.2.4. Government Cut.................................................................50 6.1.2.5. Bakers Haulover Cut..........................................................50 6.1.2.6. Caesar's Creek, Broad Creek, and Angelfish Creek.............50 6.1.3. Canals and the Biscayne Aquifer........................................................56 6.1.3.1. Mowry Canal.....................................................................56 6.1.3.2. Military Canal...................................................................56 6.1.3.3. Miami Canal.......................................................................58 6.2. Islands............................................................................................................58 6.2.1. Miami Beach.....................................................................................58 6.2.2. Key Biscayne....................................................................................58 6.2.2.1. Fossil mangrove forest......................................................61 6.2.2.2. Biscayne Nature Center.....................................................61 6.2.3. Virginia Key.....................................................................................61 6.2.4. Port of Miami...................................................................................62 6.2.5. Fisher Island.....................................................................................63 6.2.6. Venetian Islands and Pelican Island....................................................63 6.2.7. Watson Island...................................................................................65 6.2.8. Belle Isle..........................................................................................65 6.2.9. Fair Isle...........................................................................................65 6.2.10. Elliott Key......................................................................................65 6.2.11. Chicken Key....................................................................................66 6.2.12. Ragged Keys...................................................................................66 6.2.13. Soldier Key....................................................................................66 6.2.14. Spoil islands...................................................................................67 6.3. Parks and reserves.........................................................................................67 6.3.1. Biscayne National Park.....................................................................67 6.3.2. Bill Baggs Cape Florida Recreation Area............................................67 6.3.3. Crandon Park....................................................................................72 6.3.4. Matheson Hammock Park...................................................................72 6.3.5. Deering Estate and Vizcaya...............................................................72 6.3. Municipal facilities..........................................................................................75 6.3.1. Power plants....................................................................................75 6.3.1.1. Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant......................................75 6.3.1.2. Cutler Ridge Power Plant...................................................77