Water of the Everglades Presented By Emily Kay

Water of the Everglades Presented By: Emily Kay Reeder Environmental and Water Resources Engineering; University of Texas, Austin

Objective n To analyze water depths in the Florida Everglades, relating the water levels to the hydrologic needs of the American Alligator. "The Everglades ecosystem must be restored both in terms of water quality and water quantity and must be preserved and protected in a manner that is long term and comprehensive. “ ~ The Everglades Forever Act (Florida Statute No. 373. 4922)

Everglades Geography n n n South Florida Kissimmee Watershed Lake Okeechobee 100 Miles Florida Bay

Facts on The Everglades n n 10, 000 Islands 6 Inches Beneath Sea Level Average Annual Rainfall 130 mm Over 2, 000 Plant Species

The American Alligator n n n Largest Reptile in North America Length 8 – 14 Feet 35 Eggs, 15 Hatch, 6 Live to a Year, 4 Mature Populate North Carolina to Texas Thermoregulate n n n Ectothermic Active at Ambient Temperature of 82° F to 92° F Dormant at Ambient Temperature of 55° F

Adequate Water Depth and the Alligator n Thermoregulation n Internal Body Temperature of 86° F to 88° F n Water Temperature of 81° F to 88° F Deep Enough for Total Submergence (~ 18 inches) Deep Enough for Cool Temperature n n Escape from Danger n Nest Protection n

Research Plan n Enter Water Levels at Specific Gauge Station Locations n Build Elevation Model for Everglades Area n View Temporal Data using the Tracking Analyst n Perform Raster Calculation with Water Levels and Elevation Values to find Water Depth (Interpolate to Raster) n Analyze Water Depths, Relating to Hydrologic Requirements of the American Alligator

Data Sources n Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) n n Water Levels DBHydro Water Levels n Elevation n

EDEN Everglades Depth Estimation Network n USGS South Florida Information Access n Integrated Network of Real-Time Water Level and Ground Elevation Modeling n GIS Models and Monitoring Networks n n n 253 Gaging Stations Telemetry Equipment for Hourly Data Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan n Large Scale Field Operations Integration of Hydrologic and Ecological Responses Support of Biological and Ecological Assessments that Measure Ecosystem Responses

DBHydro n South Florida Water Management District's Corporate Environmental Database n Stores Hydrologic, Meteorologic, Hydrogeologic and Water Quality Data

EDEN Water Level Data n 12 Gauge Stations n n Everglades National Park Given Latitude and Longitude Entered into GIS via XY Data Water Levels n n Time Series Graph Data Converted to Chart in Excel Joined to each Station by OID Summer and Winter 2006

EDEN Water Level Values STATIO N WINTER_DE P OID W 2 0 9 BCA 9 1 6 BCA 20 2 4 P 38 3 0 CP 4 0 EVER 4 5 2 S 332 D_T 6 6 RG 1 7 5 L 31 NN 8 5 S 336_H 9 4 NP 201 10 7 NE 1 11 7

DBHydro Water Level Data n n Downloaded Water Levels Identified by Dbkey No Parameter to Join/Relate to Elevation Data No Latitude/Longitude Coordinates to Establish Stations Station Dbkey Date Time Value ENPLS 16358 7/29/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 7/30/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 7/31/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/2/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/3/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/4/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/5/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/6/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/7/1993 19000100 3. 0000 ENPLS 16358 8/8/1993 19000100 3. 0000

Future Work n n n View Temporal Data using Tracking Analyst Raster Calculation to Determine Water Depths Determine Alligator Sustainability

References n Pictures http: //www. floridaenvironment. co m/images/img 0046. jpg http: //library. thinkquest. org/CR 02 14223/bhflorafauna. html www. educationalimages. com/fl 04 0005. jpg http: //www. cnn. com/EARTH/980 5/14/obit. douglas/florida. ever glades. lg. jpg n Literature http: //library. thinkquest. org/CR 02 14223/facts. html http: //nationalzoo. si. edu/Animals/ Reptiles. Amphibians/Facts/Fac t. Sheets/Americanalligator. cfm

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