Project Summary Sheet

Study Title: Western Tamiami Trail Flows - Baseline Information and Response to CERP
Study Start Date: October, 2005 Study End Date: September 30, 2010
Principal Investigator(s): Eduardo Patino and Lars Soderqvist
Funding Source: USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science (GEPES) and NPS's Critical Ecosystems Studies Initiative (CESI)
Web Sites: http://sofia.usgs.gov/
Location (Subregions, Counties, Park or Refuge): Tamiami Trail (US-41) from State Road 29 to County Road 92.
Study Personnel: Contract employees and students
Supporting Organizations: USGS, ENP, USACE, NOAA, SFWMD, Florida Gulf Coast University.
Associated / Linked Projects: USGS / USFWS - SIRENIA Manatee research; USGS - Priority Ecosystem Science Hydrology Projects (PES), Freshwater Flows to Northeastern Florida Bay, Southwest Coast Flows Project, TIME Modeling, SICS Modeling; USGS - Monitoring and Assessment Program (USACEMAP ), Coastal Gradients Project; USGS National Wetlands Research Center (Lafayette, LA) - Ecological Research and Modeling; USACE - Tamiami Trail Culverts Project; ENP - Marine Monitoring Network; NOAA - Marine Circulation and Fisheries Studies; SFWMD - Picayune Strand Hydrologic Restoration project (Acceler8); SFWMD water quality studies - Hg studies; Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) - Oyster Reef Health in Pumpkin and Fakahatchee Estuaries: Baseline Monitoring for Ten Thousand Islands Restoration; Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP); Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP); Southwest Florida Feasibility Study.

Overview & Objective:
The objectives of this study are: 1) To develop flow calculation techniques for bridges and culverts under US-41, between County Road 92 and State Road 29; and 2) To provide support to on-going CERP and DOI studies populating hydrologic databases that can also be used by other federal and state agencies, universities, and local institutions conducting studies in the area. Additionally, other federal and state agencies, universities, and local institutions conducting research in the area will be give access to all the information generated though this study.

Status:
Construction, instrumentation, and data collection of seven flow stations, for the collection of stage, velocity, discharge, salinity (or Specific Conductance), and temperature data, at Tamiami Trail section from County Road 92 to State Road 29, completed. Discharge measurements at all bridges and culverts along this reach, for instrument calibrations and correlation analyses have started. All flow stations have been leveled in to NAVD 88 datum.

Recent & Planned Products:

1. Annual progress reports - will include the summaries of 12 months of work and any interpretations made on information generated through the study during the first two years.
2. A final report will be prepared and published by September 2010. This report will include documentation describing discharge computation techniques for monitoring flows along this reach of Tamiami Trail, all data and information generated through the study, and a description of the quantity, timing, and distribution of freshwater flows throughout the study area.
3. Abstract and Poster “Use of a Sub-Basin Approach to Estimate Discharge at Multiple Structures by Instrumenting Key Structures Within the Sub-Basin”, Lars Soderqvist and Eduardo Patino, presented at USGS National Surface Water Conference and Hydroacoustics Workshop to be held in Saint Louis, Missouri during the week of April 2 - 6, 2007.
4. Hydrologic data from 7 stations along Tamiami Trail between County Road 92 and State Road 29 for years 2006 - 2008, to be published as part of the USGS annual Data Report and the USGS SOFIA web page (http://sofia.usgs.gov/) by April 30, 2009.
5. Hydrologic records for 2006 - 2008 to be made available at the USGS -SOFIA web page (http://sofia.usgs.gov/) by April 30, 2009.
6. Progress reports to be made available to PES and CESI (ENP) on an annual basis

Relevance to Greater Everglades Restoration Information Needs:
This study provides researchers and resource managers with critical hydrologic data. The Picayune Strand Hydrologic restoration project is moving forward, and is expected to change the Quantity, Quality, Timing, and Distribution of freshwater flowing across the Tamiami Trail. This study will provide baseline information before and after the completion of the project, and will be made available to researchers and resource managers for the development and calibration of hydrologic models and the evaluation of restoration success.

Key Finding:
To be announced at a later date.