Project Statement of Work

MAP Activity Title: Coastal Gradients of Flow, Salinity, and Nutrients

MAP Activity Numbers: 3.1.3.3

A. Introduction/Background

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000 authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) as a framework for modifications and operational changes to the Central and Southern Florida Project needed to restore the south Florida ecosystem. Provisions within WRDA 2000 provide for specific authorization for an adaptive assessment and monitoring program. A Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP) has been developed as the primary tool to assess the system-wide performance of the CERP by the REstoration, COordination and VERification (RECOVER) program. The MAP presents the monitoring and supporting research needed to measure the responses of the South Florida ecosystem to the CERP.

The MAP also presents the system-wide performance measures representative of the natural and human systems found in South Florida that will be evaluated to help determine the success of CERP. These system-wide performance measures address the responses of the South Florida ecosystem that the CERP is explicitly designed to improve, correct, or otherwise directly affect. A separate Performance Measure Documentation Report being prepared by RECOVER provides the scientific, technical, and legal basis for the performance measures.

Generally, the statement of work described below is intended to support four broad objectives of this monitoring program:

1. Establish pre-CERP reference conditions and variability for each of the performance measures
2. Determine the status and trends in the performance measures
3. Detect unexpected responses of the ecosystem to changes in stressors resulting from CERP activities
4. Support scientific investigations designed to increase ecosystem understanding, cause-and-effect, and interpret unanticipated results

The statement of work described below is intended to support the Greater Everglades Wetland module and the Southern Estuaries module of the MAP and is directly linked to the monitoring or research component identified in that module as number 3.1.3.3. This statement of work includes the objectives of the work effort to be performed, a general description of the scope, a detailed listing of tasks to be undertaken and associated deliverables, and timeframes citing the methodologies to be used by the contractor or partnering agency to perform assigned work efforts.

In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a series of studies to monitor several major creeks and rivers that discharge freshwater into northeastern Florida Bay and the southwest coastal estuaries of Everglades National Park (ENP). These studies provide water flow, salinity, temperature, and water-level data for hydrodynamic model development and calibration and also supply baseline information for other physical, biological, and chemical studies being conducted in these areas. The USGS studies are being done as part of the USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science (PES) program, which is an effort by the USGS to provide earth science information needed to resolve land-use and water issues. Additional funding for these studies is provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE – C-111 Project), the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Everglades National Park (ENP).

From 2004 through 2006, RECOVER MAP funded 10 monitoring stations that together with the existing coastal monitoring network created a network of 40 sites that could be analyzed for coastal gradients of flow, salinity, and nutrients. The purpose of this network is to gather information on the interactions between the Everglades mangrove transition zone and the freshwater wetlands, Map Activity 3.1.3.3. The purpose of this RECOVER MAP statement of work to the USACE is to continue operation of this hydrologic monitoring network by the USGS from FY 2007 (1 January 2007) through FY 2010 (April 2010).

Historical data are available online through the USGS South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) web page at URL: http://sofia.er.usgs.gov/. Near real time and 30-day historical information is available at the USGS National Water Information Systems URL: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/rt.

Future funding for the northeastern Florida Bay and the southwest coastal monitoring studies is expected to continue from the USGS PES program which contributes, in part, to funding the 40-station coastal network. The MAP funding of monitoring stations within the Coastal Gradients network is a direct benefit to the overall integrated network, supplying critical hydrologic information where none previously existed and establishing a baseline data set of hydrologic conditions prior to any CERP watershed modifications. Integration of this data from the overall network is a benefit at no extra cost to MAP that can increase the level of analysis for CERP changes.

MAP Performance Measures that specifically apply to the monitoring stations of the Coastal Gradients project include the following:

Southern Estuaries Module:

• SE-1 Frequency of Low Salinities and High Salinities in Florida Bay
• SE-2 Whitewater Bay – hydrology – salinity relationships using watershed water levels
• SE-3 Water level at regionally significant gauge stations in Everglades National Park
• SE-5 Salinity Patterns in, and Timing of Freshwater Inputs to, Manatee Bay and Coastal Embayments of Barnes Sound
• SE-14 Southern Estuaries Nutrient Concentrations in Surface Water
• SE-15 Southern Estuaries Nutrient Loads

Greater Everglades Module:

• GE-1 Number and Duration of Dry Events for Shark River Slough
• GE-6 Greater Everglades Wetlands Nutrient TN Concentrations in Surface Water
• GE-11 Greater Everglades Wetlands Conductivity in Surface Water
• GE-12 Greater Everglades Wetlands Coastal Salinity Gradients

B. Objectives

The objectives of this statement of work are to operate and maintain 10 hydrologic and water quality data collection platforms (DCPs) in the coastal and freshwater marsh environments of the Everglades (Figure 1) in support of the RECOVER MAP assessment of CERP projects. The 10 fixed monitoring stations provide a variety of services from flow, wetland velocities, continuous water quality in surface and groundwater, rainfall, continuous water level in NAVD '88, and water chemistry for total and dissolved nutrients. Flow is monitored at 7 stations (3 coastal and 4 upland transition stations) while wetland velocities are monitored at 2 stations in Taylor Slough near E146 and within the C-111 Basin. Continuous salinity, specific conductance and temperature data are monitored at all 10 stations, rainfall at 3 stations, and water level at 9 stations. Continuous water quality monitors were placed at the near surface and bottom to document stratification and or bi-directional flow. At 3 stations, total nutrients are collected as 3-day composites while dissolved nutrients will be collected quarterly at Manatee Bay Creek and Card Sound Canal. There will be no dissolved nutrients collected at the West Highway Creek site after it was determined that over 90% of the samples collected over the past three years were below the laboratory detection limit. These stations were selected to fill critical gaps in the wetland/estuarine water quality network. Two stations with nested groundwater (shallow vs. deep) wells were installed in Shark Slough and Taylor Slough to examine long term changes in groundwater hydrology. Water level, specific conductance, and temperature are collected every 15 minutes.

Figure 1. Location of the RECOVER MAP coastal gradients monitoring stations in relation to other USGS monitoring stations. [larger image]

These 10 monitoring stations, in conjunction with the existing USGS Coastal Monitoring Network, are used to collect information at points of interest along transects that represent major flow paths from the Everglades wetlands to the southern estuaries (Figure 2). These transects are valuable indicators for baseline hydrologic conditions, which can affect both directly and indirectly the health and distribution of wetland and estuarine ecology. Additionally, objectives include the operation of near real-time telemetry of data at 9 stations, the release of provisional data to Everglades researchers and resource managers, and graphically present data by way of the online USGS real-time webpage (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/rt.).

[larger image]

The hydrologic (surface-water level, ground-water level at selected sites, water velocity, and discharge) and water-quality (salinity, temperature, and nutrient) information from this network will be made available for the development and calibration of hydrodynamic and water-quality models of the Everglades, Florida Bay, and adjacent marine systems and will supply physical data to help the adaptive assessment process of RECOVER and address the performance measures and hypothesis stated earlier.

The data collected from this effort will contribute to the success of CERP by having:

• Pre-CERP (baseline) and concurrent data on hydrologic and water quality parameters available for comparison during and after CERP modifications (i.e. Florida Bay/Florida Keys Feasibility Study and the C-111 Spreader Canal Project).
• The ability to perform scientific investigations with physical data in order to increase ecosystem understanding for efforts such as nutrient loading to the coast, hydrodynamic model development and calibration, and changes in salinity patterns due to various restoration projects.
• Real-time and historical data are available to detect unexpected responses within the study area due to CERP activities that change the timing and distribution of flow to the coast, changing salinity conditions due to water management operations and major storms, and extreme hypersaline conditions due to lack of freshwater to the estuary.
• Validating or refuting CERP hypothesis on Everglades restoration in relation to the Natural Systems Model (NSM) conditions. Models are useful tools for managers to understand the "natural system" but field data will assist scientist in determining whether the ecosystem structure and function is moving towards the desired endpoint and if not adaptive management can offer alternative methods for obtaining CERP goals.
• Filling the need for data on the "white zone" interface of marine and freshwater environments with both the surface and groundwater transects collected by the fixed monitoring sites (Figure 3).
• Measuring nutrient inputs to selected areas of Northeastern Florida Bay and Barnes Sound which CERP has listed as areas to receive reduced concentrations to prevent eutrophication. This water quality network fills a critical gap in Northeastern Florida bay (i.e. Long Sound) and adds additional nutrient transects along the Barnes Sound coast where continuous nutrient data collection is not available (Figure 6).
• The salinity information collected along coastal transects can be used by RECOVER researchers focusing on the American Alligator and the American Crocodile to monitor reproductive rates in relation to varying salinity conditions (Figure 5).
• Flow, nutrient, and salinity information is relevant for impact assessment on primary and secondary producers in estuarine and wetland conditions.

C. Scope of Work

A total of ten hydrologic monitoring stations and 3 nutrient sampling sites will be operated and maintained by the USGS along the southwest coast of ENP, the Everglades wetlands, and along the coastlines of northeastern Florida Bay and northwest Barnes Sound (Figure 1). Data collected at these stations will include water level, water velocity, salinity, and temperature. Three stations (Card Sound Canal, Manatee Bay Creek, and West Highway Creek) will include automatic samplers for the collection of water samples and determination of total nutrients (TKN and TP). Data gathered from the monitoring stations will compliment information currently being generated through an existing network of an additional 30 hydrologic monitoring stations, which are part of ongoing USGS projects in conjunction with the USACE (C-111 Project), SFWMD, and ENP. By combining data collected from these monitoring networks, information will be available across nine generalized coastal gradients or transects (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Location of the nine generalized coastal transects involved in the study. [larger image]

Moving boat salinity surveys of the study area within the estuaries will be made to examine the spatial distribution of salinity throughout the study area during wet and dry seasons and major storm events. Salinity surveys will be performed along these nine generalized transects, and salinity, temperature, and geographic data will be collected from boat-mounted systems along a pre-defined route. Surveys will be performed on a quarterly basis and after significant hydrologic events (tropical storms and hurricanes), totaling a minimum of four and a maximum of six surveys per year.

Data collected at all flow (discharge) sites will be transmitted in near real time (every 1 or 4 hours) by way of satellite telemetry to the automated data processing system (ADAPS) database in the USGS Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) Fort Lauderdale office and available for CERP purposes.

D. Work Breakdown Structure

** There will be no kick-off meeting required for this project because the statement of work is a continuation of an ongoing effort.

Task 1 – Development of Work Plan

This task will entail the development of a detailed project workplan as per USACE requirements and specifications.

Deliverables and Timeframe for Task 1

A Completed workplan will be delivered to the USACE project manager describing study objectives, study area, methods and participants within two months of NTP.

Task 2 – Monitoring Station Operation and Maintenance:

This task includes: (a) operation and maintenance of field instrumentation for the collection of water-level, water-velocity, salinity, and temperature data; (b) computation of discharge records at coastal and upland stations; (c) quality assurance and quality control of all field and computed data; and (d) data release and publication. The USGS will service and maintain 10 hydrologic monitoring stations in good working order and in a manner conducive to producing the data and deliverables identified in this statement of work for the duration of the work order. The 10 monitoring stations and general classification are listed in table 1.

Deliverables and Timeframe for Task 2

• An annual summary report and presentation (if requested) on the findings from all stations and provisional data will be provided each September for fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009. Data from the first quarter of FY07 will be included in the September 2007 annual summary report.
• A second USGS Data-Series Report will be provided in April 2010, which will contain the complete data set collected from 2007 through 2009.
• Data for each fiscal year (ending September 30th) will be processed, quality assured, and made publicly available by April of the following year online through the USGS South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) web page at URL: http://sofia.er.usgs.gov/. Real- time information is available at the USGS National Water Information Systems URL: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/rt. Data will also be delivered in an electronic format with the submission of each annual report.

Benefits:

• Ability to quantify variability before and after CERP through measured baseline conditions across seasons and major events such as hurricanes. Data collection in Florida Bay and along the Southwest Coast has been on-going in 1996. Data collection has occurred during various major Hurricanes (Irene, Katrina, Wilma), during drought conditions, and as the Modified Water Deliveries (i.e. C-111 Project) program was implemented.
• Annual discharge will be calculated at all estuarine sites and can be used as a metric for determining changes in flow volume and pattern across the southern estuaries. Data collection in Florida Bay and along the Southwest Coast has been on-going in 1996. Freshwater discharge along the coast has been aggregated and will be important for comparing post CERP restoration impacts.
• Salinity information has been collected by the USGS in Florida Bay and along the Southwest Coast since 1996. Salinity conditions such as hypersaline events during single or over multiple water years, rapid salinity changes (i.e. from saline to fresh) between the dry and wet season, and salinity conditions near 0.0 ppt due to water management and hurricanes has been documented. Salinity collected at coastal, transitional streams, and wetland stations of the Coastal Gradients Project will provide additional baseline data at previously undocumented areas and provide scientific insight to current salinity conditions and future salinity conditions as a result of CERP restoration.
• The C-111 wetland and the Taylor Slough at E-146 stations measure wetland velocity and water level which can be used to evaluate the relationship between sheet flow (magnitude, frequency, and direction) in the wetlands and water level/flow at the coast.
• Ground water monitoring provides critical information on the saltwater/freshwater interface which can help determine the extent of saltwater intrusion before and after CERP changes (Fig. 3).

Figure 3: Locations of continuous groundwater stations in Taylor and Shark Slough and their relation to the freshwater/saltwater interface. [larger image]

Methodology:

1. Water level is monitored for both surface water and groundwater. Down to water measurements are conducted to verify the accuracy of water level readings during routine field visits. Corrections to the water level data are performed in the USGS ADAPS database following the guidelines of Sauer (2002) and the Ft. Lauderdale USGS Quality Assurance Plan. Site elevations have been determined by the USGS National Mapping Division using static survey techniques and Airborne Height Finder (AHF) survey (USGS FS-0121-03). All water-level information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD '88).
2. All flow stations are instrumented with water-level, salinity, temperature, and velocity sensors. Velocity data is collected using acoustic Doppler velocity meters and are calibrated with the use of an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) for the computation of discharge. Salinity and temperature data will be collected at one or two depths in the water column, depending on the depth of water at the site. For more background on field methods please refer to the following web page (http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/patino/methodflow.html) or refer to the USGS online report titled Northeastern Florida Bay Estuarine Creek Data, Water Years 1996-2000 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/ds105/).
3. Discharge data are computed using established area and velocity ratings. Area ratings are developed using depth soundings from available ADCP measurements or manual cross-section measurements at each site. Index-velocity ratings will be developed through regression analyses, determining relations between instrument velocity (index velocity) and mean cross-sectional velocity from ADCP measurements.
4. Marsh sites are instrumented with water level, salinity, temperature, and velocity sensors. Velocity data will be recorded by means of acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADV) instruments. Salinity and temperature will be recorded at or near wetland surface. No discharge will be computed for these sites. Water velocity measurements are limited by available water. Dry season water levels are often not sufficient for accurate velocity measurements.
5. Ground-water wells are instrumented with water-level, salinity, and temperature sensors. Pressure transducers are used to measure water level in ground-water wells.
6. Salinity and temperature probes are cleaned and calibrated on a monthly basis to assure the quality of record. Salinity is measured near the water surface and near 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. Instrument elevations are available upon request. Temperature is measured to acquire physical information on creek 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 when necessary to maintain data quality. During the period of record (water years 1996-2003), continuous monitors (salinity) 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. From 2003 to current, determination of fouling and drift errors followed the guidelines set forth in Wagner and others (2000) and Wagner and others (2005).
7. Rainfall is collected every 15 minutes as digital counts at three locations: Upstream North River, West Highway Creek, and Card Sound Canal. Rainfall data is transmitted to the Ft. Lauderdale Office every 1 to 4 hours and is converted to inches within the USGS ADAPS database. Rainfall gages are inspected during routine site visits to remove debris and ensure proper data collection. The accuracy of the rainfall gages are evaluated annually but calibrations may be conducted more often depending on site specific issues. Rainfall data is QA/QC'd following the guidelines stated in the USGS Office of Surface Water Memorandum NO. 2006.01. Rainfall locations are shaded in the study area map below (Fig. 4).

Figure 4: Location of rainfall gages (shaded) within the USGS Coastal Monitoring Network. [larger image]

Task 3 – Salinity Surveys:

Salinity surveys will be performed using boat-mounted systems to collect information along the southwestern coast of ENP, northeastern coast of Florida Bay, and Manatee Bay/Barnes Sound (Fig. 5). The information will include salinity, and temperature data and geographic location (latitude and longitude) for every data point. Four quarterly and two event-driven surveys will be completed on a yearly basis, totaling a maximum of six per year. The salinity survey is performed on the same day across the study area and usually requires the use of 4 motorboats and 8 crew members to complete. The total time required for these surveys is six days of field work and six days of computation per year. These surveys will include the following river/creek systems listed in table 2.

Figure 5. Salinity survey performed in August, 2004. [larger image]

---

Table 2: Geographical summary of the hydrologic systems and creek systems the salinity survey tracks will represent.

Transect Name	Area	Stations
Western Shark Slough	Southwest Coast	Lostman's River to Upstream Lostman's River
Shark Slough	Southwest Coast	Broad River to Upstream Broad River
Shark Slough	Southwest Coast	Shark River/Harney River to Bottle Creek
North River	Whitewater Bay	North River to Upstream North River
Terrapin Bay	Western Florida Bay	McCormick Creek to Seven Palm Lake
Little Madieria Bay	Florida Bay	Taylor River Mouth to Upstream Taylor River
Joe Bay	Florida Bay	Trout Creek to Joe Bay/Snag Bay
Model Lands	Barnes Sound	Barnes Sound to Manatee Bay/Card Sound Canal

---

Deliverables and timeframe for Task 3:

• An annual summary report and presentation (if requested) on the findings from the salinity surveys will be provided each September for fiscal years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Data from the first quarter of FY07 will be included in the September 2007 annual summary report.
• The salinity survey information will be included in the final USGS Data Series Report to be provided in April 2010 which will contain the complete survey data set collected from 2007 through 2009.

Methodology:

1. Salinity surveys are performed using boat-mounted flow-through systems equipped with a YSI water quality monitor for collection of salinity and temperature. Position is determined using a Global Positioning System unit (GPS) which interfaces with the YSI water quality monitor. Four boats are required to transverse the locations described in table 3. Data collection occurs every 5 seconds and is stored in the YSI 650 data acquisition system. The accuracy of all instrumentation is verified in the Ft. Lauderdale laboratory or in the field before and after the salinity survey. Specific conductance or salinity accuracy is verified using a range of lab determined specific conductance standards. The temperature probe is verified using a digital NIST thermometer in the Ft. Lauderdale laboratory. Data collected from four boats is combined in a spreadsheet and analyzed for erroneous data such as spikes and 0.0 values. Salinity data is then imported into a GIS package for map creation. Raw data and spatial maps will be posted of the USGS SOFIA web page or published in the Data Report discussed earlier.

Benefits:

• These surveys show salinity response to wet and dry season changes and extreme hydrologic events over an entire geographical area. Four of these surveys would be conducted at the same time each year to allow for comparison of natural observed fluctuations vs. unexpected responses possibly due to CERP changes while the other two are event driven. Surveys relate to performance measure SE-1 Frequency of Low Salinities and High Salinities in Florida Bay.
• Possible use as a benchmark test for Florida Bay hydrodynamic models or inputs for hydrodynamic model calibration.
• Enhances understanding on how unmeasured basins react to both extreme events and natural wet and dry conditions.
• Method of quantifying a large unmeasured geographical area without the cost of additional monitoring sites by synthesizing relatively instantaneous salinity conditions.
• Salinity survey data can be tied into fixed monitoring station salinity measurements and a response correlation for a wider area may be determined using only the fixed stations in the future.
• Biologists can use this information for geographical salinity patterns in relation to crocodiles, alligators, manatees, and fish.

Task 4 – Water Quality Network:

Water-quality samples will be collected at three monitoring stations (West Highway Creek, Manatee Bay Creek, and Card Sound Canal) for determining the total and dissolved nutrient concentrations (TKN and TP) (Figure 6). Stations were selected to fill in critical gaps within the southern estuarine study area. To compliment the continuous water quality research conducted by Florida International University as part of MAP two stations in Barnes Sound will be installed at Manatee Bay Creek and Card Sound Canal. One additional continuous water quality station was added at West Highway Creek to complete the critical nutrient transect from the C-111 Canal to Florida Bay. ISCO brand automatic samplers will be used for the collection of water quality samples at selected intervals. Point and cross-sectional samples will be collected to determine "point-to-mean" relations and to quality assure ISCO samples quarterly at Manatee Bay Creek and Card Sound Canal. The previous three years of data collection at West Highway Creek, North River, and Upstream North River have shown that dissolved species fall below measurable concentrations 90% of the time and should be discontinued.

Figure 6: Locations of nutrient collection stations within the USGS Coastal Integrated Monitoring Network. [larger image]

Methodology:

ISCO brand automatic samplers are used at three locations to collect water samples for nutrient analysis. Every 18 hours a 120 ml water sample is pumped into fill a pre-preserved (1:1 sulfuric acid) composite bottle that is made up of four pumping sessions over a 3-day period. Field visits to collect sample bottles are made every 24 days. During a routine site visit, representative water samples are collected following a multiple vertical sampling approach quarterly at the Barnes Sound stations. Samples are collected and analyzed for total and dissolved nutrients (Table 3). Water samples collected with auto-samplers are analyzed for total nitrogen (TKN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations (Table 4). Point samples are collected to assess the potential of biofouling of the sampling port during monthly deployments and to compare the point data to the multiple vertical sampling data (i.e. representative data).

Deliverables and timeframe for task 4:

• A summary report and presentation (if requested) on the status of the water quality data will be provided annually each September for fiscal years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Data from the first quarter of FY07 will be included in the September 2007 annual summary report.

• A final USGS Data-Series Report will be provided April 2010 which will contain the complete water quality data set collected from 2007 through 2009.

Task 5 – Quarterly Status Reports

Written quarterly progress reports will be submitted to the project manager as follows:

Deliverables and Timeframes for Task 5

Quarterly Progress report in the required format (Attachment 1) will be submitted at three-month intervals following agreement execution.

FY07 December 2006, March 2007, and June 2007
FY08 December 2007, March 2008, and June 2008
FY09 December 2008, March 2009, and June 2009
FY10 December 2009, March 2010

Task 6 – AT Annual System Status Report

The principal investigator will participate in development of the Annual AT System Status Report when requested.

Deliverables and Timeframes for Task 6

Participation (up to 12 days by PI) in the development of the Annual AT System Status Report as requested.

E. Reporting guidelines

The results of the work performed under this scope of work will be used to develop the cumulative findings of the Annual AT System Status Report. Annual AT System Status Reports will be used by the AT to develop a RECOVER Technical Report at five year intervals, as pursuant to the regulations [Section 385.31(b)(4)]. The completion and submittal of Annual Project Reports are to coincide with the start of the Annual AT System Status Report development process (see MAP, Part 2: 2005 Assessment Strategy for the MAP). Principal Investigators will coordinate with the Project Manager to ensure the timely submittals of the Annual Project Reports. The Annual Project Reports present an assessment of whether the goals and purposes of the Plan are being achieved. The report will also include an assessment of whether the Interim Goals and Interim Targets are being achieved or likely to be achieved and evaluating whether corrective actions should be considered based on scientific findings of system-wide or regional ecological needs. The Principal Investigator(s) will be required to work with the MAP Module Leads to assist in the development of the Annual AT System Status Report and are asked to include their participation as a task in this work breakdown structure. Principal Investigators are to incorporate, as a separate deliverable in the work breakdown structure, up to 12 days of their time to participate in the development of the Annual AT System Status Report.

The following reporting guidelines are also offered by the AT to the Principal Investigators. These issues must be addressed in the Annual Project Reports.

EVALUATE ABILITY TO DETECT CHANGE - PI LEVEL

• If applicable, describe the results of the power analysis for the sampling design. Determine the minimum detectable difference of the power analysis, and its associated confidence and uncertainty. If there is no pre-existing data for a power analysis, describe and justify experimental design strategy.
• Describe changes in the MAP sampling design and its implications for the power analysis and the minimum detectable difference.

  ESTABLISH REFERENCE CONDITION - PI LEVEL

• Describe the non-MAP data sources, if any, used in the assessment. If non-MAP data were used, did the data meet the guidance criteria listed in the MAP, Part 2: 2005 Assessment Strategy for the MAP. If the non-MAP data were used and did not meet the guidance criteria, provide a rationale to justify the inclusion of the data.
• Describe how representative the data are in space and time.
• Describe the approaches used to address measuring variability.
• Prepare data for entry into the CERP-Zone and update Module Group.

  MEASURE CHANGE FROM REFERENCE CONDITION – PI LEVEL

• Describe the methods used to estimate the direction and magnitude of change in performance measures from the reference state both annually and back-cast for multiple years.
• Compare current status of the PM with its desired trend or target.
• Evaluate consistency of monitoring results with MAP hypotheses.
• Determine if there are indications of unanticipated events and describe how they are affecting the desired outcome.

F. Project Management

Statement of Work Change Control: Changes in the statement of work must be requested of the project manager in writing, with supporting justification. Any requested changes in the statement of work will require, on part of the contractor or partnering agency, submission of an updated project work plan with supporting detail, updated scheduling and budget information. No changes in the statement of work will occur without the appropriate approvals from the funding agency. Any delays or changes in the project scheduling and budget will require consultation with the Assessment Team (AT) of RECOVER. If the original statement of work requires any approved changes, the contractor or partnering agency must include documentation of these scope changes in the "lessons learned" section of the final project report.

Data Management: Submission of all data is required for contract or interagency agreement closeout. All data formatting, analysis, and delivery will be required to meet the CERP data standards developed by the project managers, data requestors, or data stewards as outlined in the CERP Master Program Management Plan (MPMP) and the CGMs. These data standards will be identified and assembled through the CERP Data Management Program and will be available upon request. Any data derived from the project will be provided to the AT at predetermined intervals. All data and results derived from this project must be made available to the AT at the end of the project.

Quality Control and Assurance: The project work plan will include a quality assurance plan in order to determine which quality control and quality assurance procedures are appropriate for each project (e.g., QASR, FDEP standards). Methods used for each project should be selected based upon the following criteria (if appropriate): cost-benefit analysis, flowchart diagram of the system process, and determination of the best statistical experimental design. The burden of proof of compliance with standardized quality control and assurance procedures is the responsibility of the contractor. In the case where there are not standardized methods for quality control and assurance, the contractor must prove that the suggested methodologies are rigorous. Citation of peer-reviewed and published methods may be used to support this documentation.

Status Reporting: Quarterly progress reports will be submitted to the project manager. Progress reports will be written (verbal reports are not acceptable) using the attached form (See Attachment 1). Additional information may be requested of the PI based on the specifics of the project. Informal reports regarding status of permits needed for the project or timely progress of field work or those that describe the completion of specific tasks may be transmitted via email or fax. Reports that include any type of data analysis, datasets, and formal quarterly or interim reports will also be sent via electronic mail; however, signed hard copies with data attached in appropriate format must be mailed to the project manager.

Lessons Learned: The causes of variances in the statement of work, project scheduling and budgeting, the reasoning behind any corrective action, as well as any other lessons learned will be documented in the final project report. These lessons learned will become part of the historical database for this project and other RECOVER projects.

- Hittle, Clinton, 2003, Estuarine Creek Responses to Extreme Hydrologic Events in Northeastern Florida Bay: Abstract, Proceedings of the Florida Bay and Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) joint conference, Palm Harbor, Florida, held April 13-18, 2003.

- Hittle, C., Poole, G., 2003, Continuous Hydrologic Data in Florida Bay Channels: Abstract, Proceedings of the Florida Bay and Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) joint conference, Palm Harbor, Florida, held April 13-18, 2003.

- Hittle, C., Patino, E., and Zucker, M., 2001, Freshwater Flow from Estuarine Creeks into Northeastern Florida Bay: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4164.

- Hittle, C., Zucker, M., and Patino, E., 1999, Freshwater Flows into Northeastern Florida Bay: Abstract, Proceedings of the Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Key Largo, Florida, held November 1-5, 1999.

- Hittle, C., Zucker, M., Northeastern Florida Bay Estuarine Creek Data, Water Years 1996-2000. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series Report 105.

- Levesque, Victor, A., 1996, South Florida Ecosystem Program – Water Flows and Nutrient Loads to the Southwest Coast of Everglades National Park: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-179-96.

- Levesque, Victor, A., 2000, Southwest Coast of Everglades National Park – Broad, Harney, and Shark River Hydrodynamics and Discharges During 1999: Abstract, Proceedings of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference, Naples, Florida, December 2000.

- Levesque, V., and Patino, E., 2001, Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Estuarine Rivers along the Southwest Coast of Everglades National Park: Abstract, Proceedings of the Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Key Largo, Florida, April 2001.

- Patino, Eduardo, 1996, South Florida Ecosystem Program - Gaging flows in northeastern Florida Bay: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-130-96.

- Patino, E., Hittle, C., May 2000, Magnitude and Distribution of Flows in Northeastern Florida Bay: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-030-00.

- Patino, E., Soderqvist, L., and Thompson, C., 2003, Hydrologic Information for Tidal Rivers along the Southwest Coast of Everglades National Park: Abstract, Proceedings of the Florida Bay and Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) joint conference, Palm Harbor, Florida, held April 13-18, 2003.

- Sauer, V.B., 2002, Standards for the Analysis and Processing of Surface-Water Data and Information Using Electronic Methods: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4044, 91 p.

- U.S. Geological Survey Program on the South Florida Ecosystem, Proceedings of South Florida Restoration Science Forum, May 17-19, 1999, Boca Raton, Florida. Open-File-Report 99-181.

- U.S. Geological Survey, Measuring and Mapping the Topography of the Florida Everglades for Ecosystem Restoration: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-021-03.

- Zucker, Mark, 2003, Using Hydrologic Correlation as a Tool to Estimate Flow at Non-Instrumented Estuarine Creeks in Northeastern Florida Bay: Abstract, Proceedings of the Florida Bay and Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) joint conference, Palm Harbor, Florida, held April 13-18, 2003.

Oberg, Kevin, A., Morlock, Scott, E., and Caldwell, William, S., 2005, Quality-Assurance Plan for Discharge Measurements Using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5183, 35 p.

Wagner, Richard, J. and others, 2000, Guidelines and Standard Procedures for Continuous Water-Quality Monitors: Site Selection, Field Operation, Calibration, Record Computation, and Reporting. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-425, 54 p.

Period Covered: ___________ through ____________

Project: Title

MAP Number: MAP Reference Number

Agency: Name

Principal Investigator: PI Name, PI email, PI phone number

Point of Contact: Contractor or Agency POC Name, email, phone number

Agreement: Type of Agreement and Identification Name or Number

PROGRESS ACCOMPLISHED THIS PERIOD

In bulleted form:

• Identify activities completed by task number
• Problems encountered and resolutions

WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT 30-60 DAYS

In bulleted form:

• Identify work elements by task number to be conducted over the next 30-60 days
• Identify status of upcoming milestones or delivery of products
• Include upcoming meetings, presentations, or other information exchanges

ANTICIPATED NEEDS OR ISSUES

In bulleted form:

• Identify data, results, or input needed from others by specified date
• Identify needed coordination with other agencies, consultants, or others

FUNDING STATUS

• Provide status of invoices; amount, dates, and for work accomplished
• Provide status of expenditures; amount and dates