Jeff Woods; Mark Zucker
Data are available for 43 separate sites.
Hydrologic information throughout the Everglades ecosystem is key to the development of restoration strategies and for future evaluation of restoration results. There are significant hydrologic information gaps throughout the Everglades wetlands and estuaries that need to be addressed, particularly along Florida’s southwest coast. Among these gaps are flow, water level, and salinity data.
Patino, Eduardo; Zucker, Mark
Zucker, Mark A.
Woolverton, J.; Overton, K.
Patino, Eduardo; Zucker, Mark
Boulger, Jr, R. W.; Oblinger, C. J.; Smith, B. A.
Morlock, S. E.; Caldwell, W. S.
Simpson, M. R.
available online only
Data for Stillwater Creek Water Years (WY) 1999-2004 were revised due to a correction for levels. Water level records from WY 1999 - 2006 for Taylor River at mouth were revised due to a correction for levels. North River discharge records were revised as of 12-7-2006. Mud Creek stage data for WY 1996 - 2004 have been corrected due to changes in levels. Broad River and Lostmans River NAVD-88 datum corrected, WY 2001 - 2004 records revised as of 12-7-2006. Chatham River and Lopez River NAVD-88 datum established at these locations, WY 2001 - 2004 records revised as of 12-7-2006. Jewfish Creek discharge records for WY 2003- -2006 were revised. East Highway Creek discharge record for WY 2005 was revised.
Eden 3 data for WY2006 were updated to fix units error, label updates, and time format.
See the Sites List for Hydrology Data at <http://> sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/zucker_woods_patino/sitelist.html for a complete breakdown of the data collected for each site.
Field Data Collection Water level, temperature, salinity, and discharge
Data collected at instrumented sites included continuous (15-minute or hourly) measurements of water level, water velocity, salinity/specific conductance, temperature, and periodic measurements of discharge for index velocity calibrations. More information on index velocity techniques is discussed in Hittle and others (2001) and Morlock and others (2002), and Ruhl and other (2005). Stations with transmitting data loggers send field data every 1 to 4 hours into the database of the FISC Ft. Lauderdale office by way of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). Non-transmitting sites are routinely serviced and field data is manually uploaded to the USGS database.
Boat mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) were used to measure discharge at the estuarine monitoring stations. The ADCP uses the Doppler shift in returned acoustic signals reflected by particles suspended in the water to determine the velocity of moving water (Simpson 2002 and Oberg and others 2005). The ADCP also has the capability to measure water depth, flow direction, and speed of the boat based on acoustic reflections from the streambed. Discharge and flow direction are both calculated from information provided by the ADCP and computer software. The mean water velocity is calculated by dividing the total measured discharge by the cross-sectional area corresponding to the water level at the time of measurement (Sauer 2002 and Ruhl and others 2005).
Acoustic velocity meter (AVM) and acoustic Doppler velocity meter (ADVM) systems were used to measure continuous water velocity. The velocity measured by the ADVM systems represents an "index" of the mean water velocity. The index velocity is a measured velocity at the instrumented sites that can be used to compute the mean channel velocity. Water level data are used to determine water depth and to calculate the stage-dependent cross-sectional area. Water level data were collected an incremental shaft encoder equipped with a pulley, stainless-steel tape, weight, and float inside an 8 in. polyvinyl chloride pipe stilling well (Sauer 2002), pressure sensors, or acoustic transducers. Corrections to water level data follow USGS quality assurance quality control protocols (Rantz and others 1982 and Sauer 2002).
Salinity is measured near the water surface and the bottom of the water column to help determine the presence of freshwater flow and to examine potential effects on the acoustic signals caused by salinity stratification. Continuous salinity measurements are important for describing the seasonal patterns of freshwater flow (wet/dry season) and for identifying bi-directional flow. Elevations of the continuous monitors are available upon request. Temperature is measured to acquire physical information on creek or wetland characteristics, and to monitor possible vertical gradients that also could affect acoustic signals. Due to biological fouling and electronic drift, the continuous monitor requires routine cleaning and calibration to maintain data quality. During the period of record (water years 1996-2003), continuous monitors were calibrated during site visits to ambient conditions using a reference probe (USGS National Field Manual). Ambient salinity conditions were measured with a portable reference probe that was calibrated and or verified against a range of laboratory specific conductance standards. The determination of fouling and drift errors from water year 2003 to current follow the guidelines set forth in Wagner and others (2005). Reference temperature probes are verified against a NIST thermometer prior to field trips. When in situ temperature measurements differ by more than 0.2°C when compared to the reference temperature probe, the in situ probe is replaced.
Rainfall
A remote tipping bucket style rain gauge was used to measure 15 minute liquid precipitation at Upstream North River, Card Sound Canal and West Highway Creek. Daily rainfall in inches is published by water year. Maintenance consists of routine cleaning of debris from the filter screen, and annual calibration/verification with a known rate and volume dispenser. The gage is adjusted when the calibration error is greater than 5%. Data collection, processing, storage, and publication meet USGS standards (USGS 2006).
Format for the hydrology data
Water level, discharge, salinity/specific conductance, water temperature, and rainfall data were collected in estuarine creeks, the mangrove/wetland transition zone, and the freshwater wetlands of south Florida. Published data are presented as computed unit-value data under separate files by water year. The data format used is comma-separated value (csv) files that can be imported into most spreadsheet programs.
The data are separated by individual stations (see sites listing), water year (October 1 to September 30), and when necessary, by parameter. Data collection activities varied from real-time instrumented to non-transmitting sites. Salinity/specific conductance and water temperature generally were measured within a few feet of the water surface (near surface) and within a few feet of the river bottom (near bottom). In some cases (wetland or well mixed sites), salinity/specific conductance and water temperature are measured at a single location in vertical profile. Elevations of the continuous monitors are available upon request. Water level is reported in feet as referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), discharge in cubic feet per second, specific conductance in micro-siemens per centimeter, salinity in parts per thousand, and temperature in degrees Celsius.
2007 data were added for all sites.
Missing data are indicated by #N/A, 1.23E+25 or blanks.
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
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