How Much Water Has Gone South to the Everglades? May to September, 2015, SLR/IRL

 

Everglades City, (Photo Jenny Flaugh (2012)
Photo from “Flight to Everglades City,” (Photo Jenny Flaugh (2007)
Evie and Jenny Flaugh during flight to Everglades with my husband Ed, 2012)
My niece Evie with her mom, my little sister, Jenny Flaugh. “Flight to Everglades” with my husband Ed, 2007)
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Robert Femema's presentation slide , GEER 2008.
Robert Fennema’s presentation slide , GEER 2008 about water going south to the Everglades…
SFWMD map showing STAs and WCAs. (Storm Water Treatment Areas clean the water of excess phosphorus and nitrogen from agriculture and developement via vegetation and then flow into the Water Conservation Areas, from here the water has been cleaned of phosphorus and nitrogen and hopefully meets standards that allow it to go into the Everglades.)
SFWMD map showing STAs and WCAs. Storm Water Treatment Areas’s (STA) vegetation etc. clean the water of excess phosphorus and nitrogen coming  from agriculture and development. Then the flows into the  Water Conservation Areas (WCA)/Everglades hopefully meeting standards.
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GOAL: Sending water to the Everglades!

The South Florida Water Management District did a great job “sending water south,” from May-September last year, so how are they doing so far this year comparatively? Recently I asked Dr Gary Goforth (http://garygoforth.net) if I could share his calculations:

Jacqui, As you know, my mantra has been to send the Lake water south – slowly but steadily – throughout the year.

This was echoed by Robert Fennema describing historical flows from the Lake to the Everglades in the same 2008 Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) workshop as the Chris McVoy piece you referenced recently: “Persistent outflow along the southern shore provided the head to maintain constant flow through the Everglades.”

All the best,
Gary

Here are Dr Gary Goforth’s numbers:

2 years ago May-Sept: 32,032 acre feet to STAs
Last year May-Sept: 187,125 acre feet to STAs
This year May – Sept.: 95,600 acre feet to STA/FEB

He adds: “Jeff Kivett stated there was 60% probability of above average rainfall during the upcoming dry season and now is the time to keep the Lake low by sending it to the Everglades.”

Thank you Dr Goforth.

I have noticed, at recent meetings, speakers and scientists for the SFWMD note that rainfall and other issues have a lot to do with how much water they can send south. It would be wonderful if someone from the District could explain this in simple terms for the public and noting the goal for this year. Please feel free to participate in this blog.

As we all know, sending water south and working on more ways to achieve such is imperative for restoring the Everglades and for saving the St Lucie River Indian River Lagoon. This power point presentation by Robert Femema (http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/geer2008/Presentation_PDFs/Wednesday/Royal%20Palm%20VI/1200%20R%20Fennema.pdf) was given in 2008 at the GEER conference and is another great resource for those of us learning as much as we can about creating a better water future for ourselves, our children, and grandchildren.

SFWMD Sending Water South Chart: (http://sfwmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=a9072c94b5c144d8a8af14996ce23bca&webmap=d8e767997b0d494494243ffbc7f6f861)

GEER 2008: (http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/geer2008/presentations.htm)

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