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Ernie Barnett, Interim Executive Director South Florida Water Management District

Sea Level Rise: its effects on Water Management in South Florida South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force July 9, 2013. Ernie Barnett, Interim Executive Director South Florida Water Management District. Why is Sea Level is Important to Southeast Florida?. Flooding

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Ernie Barnett, Interim Executive Director South Florida Water Management District

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  1. Sea Level Rise: its effects on Water Management in South FloridaSouth Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task ForceJuly 9, 2013 Ernie Barnett, Interim Executive Director South Florida Water Management District

  2. Why is Sea Level is Important to Southeast Florida? • Flooding • Extreme weather events (storm surge, hurricanes) • Sea level rise • Water Management • Saltwater intrusion and water supply • Beach erosion • Impact to the Everglades

  3. Street flooding during high tide Credit: Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe county staff

  4. Local Impacts: Pre-High Tide Event Credit: Dr. Jennifer Jurado

  5. High Tide Event Credit: Dr. Jennifer Jurado

  6. Today’s Issues Today’s Problems Credit: Climate Central

  7. Hurricanes Assets Natural Variability? Courtesy: Chris Landsea. National Hurricane Center

  8. Hurricanes (Cont.) • Premature to conclude that human activities have had detectable impact on hurricane activity • Tropical cyclones to shift towards strong storms (2-11% intensity increase by 2100) • Decrease in global frequency of tropical cyclones (6-34%) • Increase in the frequency of the most intense cyclones • Increase in rainfall rate, 20% within 100 km of storm center Andrew (1992) $26.5 billion

  9. Rising Seas – Historical Data Charleston Pensacola Fort Pulaski Mayport St. Petersburg Key West • Relative Sea Level (height above a local datum) depends on: • Global Mean Sea Level • Regional Variability • Vertical Land Movement (uplift/subsidence)

  10. Impacts of Rising Seas: Flood Control Challenges Coastal Structure Ocean Side (tailwater) Land Side(headwater)

  11. Impacts of Rising Seas: Flood Control Challenges Coastal Structure Ocean Side (tailwater) Land Side(headwater)

  12. Typical Area Surrounding Coastal Structures (S-27 Miami-Dade County)

  13. Potential Exposure • Preliminary screening based on original designs. • 28 gravity structures on the East Coast • Most vulnerable structures are in Miami-Dade County Broward counties

  14. Rising Seas: Saltwater Intrusion

  15. Adaptation to Rising SeasExample: Forward Pumping at S-26 Structure Spillway New Pump Station

  16. Exposure: Potential acceleration of saltwater intrusion Estimate saltwater Interface (2009) • Continue looking at opportunities and technologies to reduce amount of additional freshwater needed for water supply • Implement water conservation measures • Develop alternative water supply options Wellfield Protection Areas

  17. Potential Impact of Rising Seas:Southern Everglades Relocation and possible reduction of mangrove forests Forced migration of wading birds northward Potential peat collapse, coastal erosion, and redistribution of sediments Salinity intrusion into freshwater marshes can: discharge toxic hydrogen sulfide, cause coastal fish kills, and increase habitat loss

  18. Permanent inundation and/or increased flooding with a sea level rise (SLR) of 1.5 to 3.5 meters (Source: USEPA, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/slrmaps_vulnerable.html

  19. Remnant living sawgrass peat collapse Dead sawgrass, substrate decay Inundation & Collapse of Freshwater Wetlands Credit: Prof. Hal Wanless

  20. Adaptation Response to Sea Level Rise Everglades restoration is an important adaptation response to Sea Level Rise. Ecosystem resilience can be enhanced through increased water flows through the Everglades and increased storage. Increased flows into the southern estuaries will reinstate widespread organic soil formation and maintain the freshwater head in order to mitigate the effects of sea level rise and saltwater intrusion.

  21. Conclusions National Academy of Sciences 2008 report on restoration progress stated that climate change should be a reason to accelerate Everglades restoration, not a reason for delays Everglades Restoration will help delay impacts in natural and developed areas More work needed to assess impact of sea level rise and climate change on the restoration effort CERP PIRs to address Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for enhanced long term sustainability

  22. Thank you!

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