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publications > open file report > ofr 01-007 > study area
Geochemistry of Sulfur in the Florida Everglades:
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The surficial and ground waters of the freshwater Everglades are components of a continuous, non-confined aquifer system, the uppermost unit of which is the Biscayne Aquifer (Sonntag, 1987). Limestone bedrock underlies the Everglades peat (Gleason and Stone, 1994). Recharge to the aquifer is mostly from rainwater, with lesser amounts supplied by drainage from Lake Okeechobee and other areas to the west and north (Fish, 1988; Waller and Earle, 1975). Groundwater flow patterns in the WCAs vary seasonally and are not well known, although the WCAs and the canals are known to be hydrostatic high points on a regional scale (Fish, 1988). The surface waters are circum-neutral with pH values generally near 7 (unpublished data, Orem).
Taylor Slough in the southern Everglades (Fig. 2) has freshwaters in its northern region. The head of the Slough is adjacent to agricultural fields and is nutrient impacted (Orem et al., 1999). The dominant plants in the northern part of the Slough are sawgrass, waterlily and periphyton algae. Marine water influence is felt in the mangrove swamps in the near-coastal areas of the Slough. Freshwater flows from the Slough into the marine waters of Florida Bay (Fig. 2).
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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
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Last updated: 29 November, 2004 @ 01:39 PM (KP)