Ecological Indicators

1
Ecological Indicators

• Dean Powell
• Department Director
• Watershed Management

2
Kissimmee
3
Upper Chain of Lakes Hydrographs
4
Continuous Flow to the Restored Kissimmee River
Channel
5
Dissolved Oxygen in Restored Kissimmee River
Discharge (cfs)
Dissolved oxygen (mg/L)
Date
6
Kissimmee River Stage Recession Rate Target 1
ft./30 days
7
Lake Okeechobee
8
Lake Okeechobee Stage Indicators

• Preferred range of stage
• 12.5 ft to 15.5 ft
• Minimum Level
• 11 ft for 80 days / 6 years

9
Lake OkeechobeeSubmerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)

• Target more than 40,000 acres of SAV
• August 04 54,857 acres
• August 06 2,965 acres

10
Estuaries
11
St. Lucie Estuary Salinity Envelope
12
Oysters in St. Lucie Estuary
13
Seagrass in St. Lucie Estuary
14
Caloosahatchee Watershed
15
Caloosahatchee Flow Envelope
16
Caloosahatchee Minimum Flows
17
Seagrass in Caloosahatchee Estuary
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Sites
18
Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs)
19
Everglades Forever Act
20
Stormwater Treatment Area 3/4
21
Everglades / Florida Bay
22
Water Conservation Area Hydrographs
23
Everglades Minimum Levels
24
Everglades Minimum Levels
25
Wading Bird Nesting
26
Wading Bird Nesting
Total Number of Wading Bird Nests
in the Everglades, 1990-2006
80000
60000
Number of Nests
40000
20000
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Year
27
Everglades Tree Islands

• Primary wet season indicator
• Inundation no more than 120 consecutive days

28
Florida Bay Minimum Flows

• Upper Taylor River is indicator site for
  Northeast Florida Bay
• Criteria
• Salinity at Upper Taylor Pond lt 30 ppt for 30 day
  average
• Annual creek flow gt105,000 acre-feet

pptparts per thousand
29
Salinity in Upper Taylor River Pond
Minimum Flow threshold
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Upper Taylor
River Pond
30
Questions?