St. Lucie Estuary/ Southern Indian River Lagoon Water Resource Summary Kathy LaMartina Regional Representative, Martin/St. Lucie Counties South Florida Water Management District
Water Resource Modifications Historic Current Flow Flow
Historical Problems Leading to Construction of C&SF Project Hurricanes in 1926 and 1928 resulted in failure of the levee around Lake Okeechobee Hurricane in 1947 resulted in wide-spread flooding throughout South Florida State of Florida requested Federal assistance in 1947 Congress authorized the C&SF Project in 1948
Major Central and South Florida Project Components River Channelization Herbert Hoover Dike Water Conservation Areas Protective Levees Everglades Agricultural Area Lower East Coast Drainage Network Salinity Structures
Martin County 2000
S-48 in Martin County
C-25 Canal in St. Lucie County
S-80 in Martin County
Florida’s Water Management Districts Core Mission Flood Protection Water Quality Water Supply Natural Systems
South Florida 18,000 square miles 2,100 miles of canals 2,100 miles of levees More than 600 water control structures and 625 project culverts 70 pump stations 8.1 million residents More than 3 million acres of agriculture Vast protected natural areas
Lake Okeechobee 5,000 square mile watershed drains into the 730 square mile Lake Water levels driven largely by climatic conditions Serves multiple purposes: Water Supply Storage Flood Protection Unique Ecosystem Recreation Lake Okeechobee
Inflow capacity far exceeds outflow capacity
Lake Okeechobee Major Structures Managed by the USACE (red ) and the SFWMD (blue ) S-65E S-72 S-308: Port Mayaca S-71 Lock & Dam S-80: St. Lucie Lock & Dam C-10A S-352 S-79: S-77: Franklin S-351 Lock & Dam Moore Haven S-78: Lock & Dam Ortona S-354 Lock & Dam
S-80 Discharge to Typical Lake St. Lucie Estuary Okeechobee & Estuary Flows Lake During Wet Periods Inflows C-43 Basin Lake Release C-44 Runoff at S-308 Basin Runoff Lake Release at S-77 Lake S-79 Discharge to Release Caloosahatchee through EAA Estuary EAA to Runoff WCAs (via STAs) &/or to tide
SFWMD Wet Season Rainfall May 18 2013 – October 15, 2013 DISTRICT- WIDE: 39.05” (117% of Avg, or +5.58”) Wet Season Started ~May 18 th All basins more than 100 percent of average April-July was very wet April-August period was second wettest in 81-yr record (1947 was wettest by 0.37”)
SFWMD Dry Season Rainfall November 2015 – January 2016 DISTRICT- WIDE: 16.22” (300% of Avg, or +10.81”) Dry season lasts through May averaging 18” or less Jan. record 9.18” - 7.25” above the historical average or 476 percent of average Nov. – Jan. period was wettest since record keeping began in 1932
2013 Hurricane Season Jun-Nov
2013 Discharges to the St. Lucie Estuary Does not include runoff from tidal basin or groundwater 22 Data through Sep 30th
Constraints Limiting Discharges South STA treatment capability WCA levee integrity EAA Flood Control WCA water levels Protected species Water levels in S-12 discharge NE Shark River capacity Slough
Water Discharges to St. Lucie Estuary 1979-2015 Annual Total Discharges (Thousand Acre Feet) 1400000 1200000 1000000 800000 600000 400000 200000 0 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 S-80 S-97 S-49
0.000 0.200 0.400 0.050 0.100 0.250 0.300 0.450 0.150 0.350 Annual Average Phosphorus 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Total Phosphorus (Milligrams per Liter) 1986 Concentration 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 C-44 1993 1994 1995 SC-23 1996 1997 1998 C-24 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 28
C-23 Canal 2000 - 2005 Flow & T-PO4 Flow Weighted Mean 100000 0.800 90000 0.700 80000 0.600 70000 T-PO4 (mg/l) 0.500 Flow (ac/ft) 60000 Flow T-PO4 50000 0.400 40000 0.300 30000 0.200 20000 0.100 10000 0 0.000 Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct 2000 Jan Apr Jul 2001 Jan Apr Jul 2002 Jan Apr Jul 2003 Jan Apr Jul 2004 Jan Apr Jul 2005 Jan Apr Jul
Salinity Conditions June 30, 2013 July 30, 2013 Areas Areas Not Not Modeled Modeled
Salinity Tolerances of Oysters Juveniles : Mortality after 7 days at < 5 Adults : Mortality after 28 days at < 5
Peacock Ranch in St. Lucie County
Peacock Ranch in St. Lucie County
Peacock Ranch in St. Lucie County
Elkcam Waterway in St. Lucie County
Martin Downs Country Club in Martin County
Port St. Lucie
Solutions Total Maximum Daily Load – Establishes Water Quality Standards for Impaired Water Bodies Addresses agricultural and urban runoff Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Regional and Local Restoration Efforts Alternative Storage Outreach Efforts Zero-phosphorus fertilizers; urban best management practices
Salerno Creek in Martin County
Platts Creek in St. Lucie County
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan July 1, 1999, Secretary of the Army and State of Florida Presented plan to Congress. Approved by Congress as the Framework for Everglades Restoration in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000) Project Cost Sharing 50% 50% Federal State $ $
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Loxahatchee River Restoration Restore and improve quality, quantity, timing and flow of water. Provide C-111 Spreader sustainable water C-44 Stormwater Canal Treatment Area supply to meet environmental, agricultural and urban needs.
CERP – The Goal
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Includes 68 components to be implemented over 35 years. Features include: Aquifer Storage & Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoirs Stormwater Treatments Areas Seepage Management Removing Barriers to Sheetflow Operational Changes Reuse Wastewater
Restoration Works – Kissimmee River Before After Success Restored
Indian River Lagoon South Authorized Components: C-44 Reservoir & STA • 3,400 acre reservoir – 50,600 acre feet • 6,300 acre STA (6 cells) C-23/24 Reservoirs & STA • N/S Reservoirs - ~100,000 acre feet • 2,500 acre STA – 4 cells C-25 Reservoir/STA • 741 acre Reservoir – 5,900 acre feet • 163 acre STA ~ 90,000 acres Natural Water Storage & Treatment Area (NWSTA)
Indian River Lagoon South (IRLS) Improve habitat quality in estuarine ecosystems Improve functional quality of wetland ecosystems Improve water quality Maintain existing level of flood control Maintain or improve water supply for urban and agricultural use. Maintain healthy ecosystem that supports recreational and commercial interests
C-44 Reservoir & STA C-44 Reservoir Status C-44 STA Corps constructing reservoir State funding expediting construction of C-44 STA 48
Natural Lands Component Natural Lands Status Wetland restoration under way • Allapattah Flats • Turnpike Dairy • Williamson Ranch ~13,000 acres under landowner agreements with NRCS – WRP Allapattah Flats Key restoration activities • Ditch blocks • Water control structures • Low-level berms
Dispersed Water Management 87,000 acre feet of storage achieved 99,000 acre feet of additional storage approved December 2014
Central Everglades Planning Project Increase storage, treatment and conveyance of water south of Lake Okeechobee Sends 200,000 ac-feet of water south from the Lake Removes and/or plugs canals and levees within the central Everglades Improves hydroperiod and flow through Everglades National Park while protecting urban and agricultural areas to the east from flooding
20-Year Commitment to Everglades Restoration Dedicated source of funding $5 billion in state funding over he next 20 years $4 billion in matching federal funds anticipated Implementation of the Governor’s plan will deliver critical benefits to the Everglades ecosystem: Capture and store 1 million acre-feet (330 billion gallons) of fresh water, which will significantly decrease the frequency and intensity of harmful freshwater discharges to the norther estuaries. Reduce phosphorus loads to Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee Estuary, St. Lucie Estuary and the Everglades by 252 metric tons per year.
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