1 / 17

Water of the Everglades

Water of the Everglades. Presented By: Emily Kay Reeder Environmental and Water Resources Engineering; University of Texas, Austin. Objective. To analyze water depths in the Florida Everglades, relating the water levels to the hydrologic needs of the American Alligator.

maine
Download Presentation

Water of the Everglades

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

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

  2. Objective • 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)

  3. Everglades Geography • South Florida • Kissimmee Watershed • Lake Okeechobee • 100 Miles • Florida Bay

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

  5. The American Alligator • 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 • Ectothermic • Active at Ambient Temperature of 82° F to 92° F • Dormant at Ambient Temperature of 55° F

  6. Adequate Water Depth and the Alligator • Thermoregulation • Internal Body Temperature of 86° F to 88° F • Water Temperature of81° F to 88° F • Deep Enough for Total Submergence (~ 18 inches) • Deep Enough for Cool Temperature • Escape from Danger • Nest Protection

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

  8. Data Sources • Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) • Water Levels • DBHydro • Water Levels • Elevation

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

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

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

  12. EDEN Water Level Values

  13. DBHydro Water Level Data • Downloaded Water Levels • Identified by Dbkey • No Parameter to Join/Relate to Elevation Data • No Latitude/Longitude Coordinates to Establish Stations

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

  15. References • Pictures http://www.floridaenvironment.com/images/img0046.jpg http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214223/bhflorafauna.html www.educationalimages.com/fl040005.jpg http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9805/14/obit.douglas/florida.everglades.lg.jpg • Literature http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214223/facts.html http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Americanalligator.cfm

  16. Questions?

More Related