Lars Soderqvuist
Craig Thompson
This study will quantify water discharge, describe hydrodynamic characteristics of estuarine rivers of southwest Everglades National Park, and provide necessary information for the development and calibration of the TIME hydrodynamic model. The data collection network established through this project will include the following types of stations:
5 stations located at estuarine rivers and bays will be monitored for stage, flow, salinity and temperature and 4 stations located at estuarine rivers and bays will be monitored for stage, salinity and temperature, based on TIME model needs and other ecological work being done or planned within the study area.
2 stations located in the open-water of the Gulf of Mexico will be monitored for tide elevation, salinity, and temperature in order to provide boundary information necessary for hydrodynamic and ecological models.
Methodology The following sections describe the methods and techniques used for collection and analysis of all field data in order to describe freshwater flow patterns along the estuaries of southwest Florida. Data collection at all flow sites includes continuous (15-minute interval) measurements of water level, water velocity, salinity, temperature, and calibration measurements of discharge. Data collection at sites without the flow component will include continuous (15-minute interval) measurements of water level, salinity, and temperature. Most continuous data are recorded and transmitted every 4 hours by way of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) into the database of the USGS Miami office. For stations at which transmission of data is not possible or required, data will be logged, retrieved, and stored in the database of the USGS Miami office.
Data collection Flow stations: Estuarine sites will be instrumented with water level, salinity, temperature, and velocity sensors. Velocity data will be collected with acoustic Doppler instruments, calibrated with the use of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), and used in the computation of discharge. Monthly discharge measurements will be done at all new sites during the first year and bi-monthly thereafter for rating verification purposes. Salinity and temperature data will be collected at two depths in the water column.
Water level and salinity stations (including open-water boundary sites): These stations will include the collection of water level, salinity, and temperature. Salinity and temperature data will be collected at one or two depths, depending on site location.
Data Analysis Flow data will be computed using established area and velocity ratings and provided to TIME modelers and other researchers in the best format for use in the model and/or ecological research. 'Low-pass' filters will be used if necessary, to extract net flows from the tidal signature at all flow sites.
All USGS and ENP salinity data will be available for describing the effects of water management practices on the overall salinity of the southwest coast estuaries.
The data collection network established through this project included the following types and number of stations:
1. Five estuarine-river sites were be selected to monitor stage, flow, salinity and temperature, based on TIME model needs and other ecological work being done or planned within the study area. These sites included the continuation of two previously existing stations.
2. Six additional sites were instrumented to monitor stage, salinity, and temperature in order to provide maximum spatial coverage for the TIME model, in conjunction with ENP’s marine monitoring network. These sites were located at creeks flowing into the estuaries, within the "mixing" zone, with two located near shore in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
3. All water surface elevations were referenced to arbitrary local datum and do not represent NGVD-29 nor NAVD-88 elevations. Elevation control will be established to NAVD-88 in the near future.
Data collection at all flow sites included continuous (15-minute interval) measurements of water level, water velocity, salinity, and temperature, and calibration measurements of discharge (no discharge measurements at wetland sites). Data collection at water level sites included continuous (15-minute interval) measurements of water level, salinity, temperature. Most continuous data were recorded and transmitted every 4 hours by way of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) into the database of the USGS Miami Subdistrict office. Stations at which transmission of data was not possible nor required were logged, retrieved, and stored into the database of the USGS Miami Subdistrict office.
Flow stations: Estuarine stream sites were instrumented with water level, salinity, temperature, velocity sensors. Velocity data was collected with acoustic Doppler instruments, calibrated with the use of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), and used in the computation of discharge. Periodic discharge measurements were done at all new sites during the first year and every four to six months thereafter for rating verification purposes. Water quality data (salinity and temperature) were collected at two depths in the water column.
Salinity stations: Salinity stations included the collection of water level, salinity, and temperature. Two of these stations were located out in the open-water boundary of the Gulf of Mexico in order to provide tidal information for the TIME model. Salinity and temperature data were collected at one or two depths, depending on site location.
Data Analysis: Discharge data was computed using established area and velocity ratings and provided to TIME model and other researchers in the best usable format for its use within the model and/or ecological research within the area.
Work planned for FY 2003 includes:
1. Maintaining 11 to 13 monitoring stations at rivers and bays within the estuaries of the southwest coast of Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve. These stations include North River, Shark River, Broad River, Lostman’s River, Chatham River, New River, Lopez River, Turner River, Barron River/Canal, two open-water stations in the Gulf of Mexico, ENP boundary markers near Shark Point and the mouth of Chatham River, and possibly two rivers within the Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve.
2. Continue with ADCP discharge measurements for the development of velocity calibration ratings for the computation of discharge at instrumented coastal rivers.
3. Continue QA/QC of all field data.
4. Begin uploading data on the SOFIA web page and make it available to all researchers.
5. Arrange for data transfer from Tampa for data collected during 1996-2000.
6. If funding becomes available, construct and instrument monitoring stations within the Ten Thousand Islands Preserve.
1. Maintain and operate the Bottle Creek monitoring station at Rookery Branch.
2. Begin ADCP discharge measurements for the development of velocity calibration ratings for the computation of discharge at Bottle Creek and adjacent creeks.
3.Continue QA/QC of all field data.
4. Begin uploading data on the SOFIA web page and make it available to all researchers.
This task is designed to establish elevation ties between 22 monitoring gage-house measuring points and reference marks (RM’s) installed for obtaining NAVD-88 datum with GPS instrumentation.
Planned FY 2003 work includes:
1. Install stable reference marks nearby all monitoring stations.
2. Run elevation surveys from the RM’s into the gage-houses.
3. Apply (or provide to ENP) necessary correction for the transfer of NAVD-88 datum elevations to gage-houses, whenever NAVD-88 datum is established on the RM’s and made available.
1. Hydrologic monitoring of estuaries within the southwest coast of Everglades National Park
a) Maintain 11 monitoring stations at rivers and bays within the estuaries of the southwest coast of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. These stations include North River, Shark River, Broad River, Lostman’s River, Chatham River, New River, Lopez River, Turner River, Barron River/Canal, and two open-water stations in the Gulf of Mexico, ENP boundary markers near Shark Point and the mouth of Chatham River.
b) Continue with ADCP discharge measurements for the development and verification of velocity calibration ratings for the computation of discharge at instrumented coastal rivers.
c) Continue QA/QC of all field data.
d) Upload data on the SOFIA web page to make it available to all researchers.
2. Continue local elevation surveys at all monitoring stations
a) Install stable reference marks near all 18 remaining USGS and ENP monitoring stations.
b) Run elevation surveys from the RM’s into the gage-houses.
c) Apply (or provide to ENP) necessary correction for the transfer of NAVD-88 datum elevations to gage-houses, whenever NAVD-88 datum is established on the RM’s and made available.
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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for
Coastal Geology
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