February 2016 - In This Issue:
PHOTO of the MONTH
The South Florida Water Management District has an extensive network
of monitoring stations to collect hydrologic and water quality data.
Routine maintenance of the stations often takes field technicians
to remote sites, such as this one in the Big Cypress National Preserve
that is only accessible by helicopter.

   Visit us on Flickr  to see more photos from around South Florida.
Chairman's Message
Daniel O'Keefe
Governing Board Chairman
In response to intense, record-setting rainfall -- during what should be the driest months of the year -- water managers are actively working to relieve high water levels throughout the regional flood control system. Last month alone, more than 9 inches of rain fell on South Florida -- the highest total for January since recordkeeping began in 1932.
 
Most significantly, the District is implementing Governor Scott's request to move clean water from Water Conservation Area 3, sending it under the 1-mile Tamiami Trail Bridge and into Everglades National Park. The emergency operation will ease flooding that is endangering wildlife. It also will allow water managers to eventually move treated Lake Okeechobee water into the Everglades, relieving the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries from some of the impacts of lake releases.
 
Water managers are further reducing water levels in WCA-3 by taking the unprecedented step of using the C-4 Emergency Detention Basin in southern Miami-Dade County. In conjunction, they are pumping water nearby at two coastal structures to maximize the amount of water discharged out of the system.
 
With water levels expected to remain high for the immediate future, the District continues work on large-scale projects that will increase capacity for water storage. The new A-1 Flow Equalization Basin, located in Palm Beach County south of Lake Okeechobee, is already moving clean water to the Everglades. Also in Palm Beach County, the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin is nearing completion, and expansion of Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West started last year. Near the east and west coast estuaries in Martin and Hendry counties, progress is being made on critical water storage projects such as the C-44 and C-43 reservoirs.
 
Governor Scott and legislative leaders have expressed a strong commitment to ecosystem restoration, and legislation is under consideration to provide long-term, dedicated funding needed to bring more projects to fruition. Federal action is also needed, including Congressional funding for continued rehabilitation work on the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. That effort, at the heart of our regional system, is critical to solving South Florida's water management challenges.

Pump Station Overhaul

Crews from the South Florida Water Management District recently began an overhaul of a pump at the S-332B Pump Station just east of Everglades National Park.
  
An underwater dive inspection found significant deterioration of the propeller associated with the pump. With the pump itself approaching the age for an overhaul, the SFWMD Fort Lauderdale Trade Support Team and a Homestead Pump Station crew are working to refurbish the engine and gearbox to ensure continued operation for many years to come. A stainless steel propeller will also be installed that should last longer than the one being replaced.

See the Birds on Spring STA Bird-Watching Tours

Join novice and veteran birdwatchers on birding tours scheduled throughout the spring in Palm Beach, Martin and Hendry counties at Everglades restoration wetlands known as Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs).
  
Hundreds of species of birds are routinely documented at STAs. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) partners with several National Audubon Society chapters -- including Audubon Society of the Everglades, Audubon of Martin County and Hendry-Glades Audubon -- to conduct bird-watching tours on these public lands in South Florida.
  
The STAs are large, constructed wetlands that use aquatic plants to naturally remove and store nutrients from stormwater runoff through growth and accumulation of dead plant material in layers of sediment. This natural process cleanses water bound for the Everglades.
  
STA sites that host Audubon tours are selected for their prolific bird watching, bird education and wildlife viewing opportunities. For information on how to sign up, where to go, what to take and what you may see while birding, click on the links below:


March 3 - 9 a.m.
WRAC Meeting
SFWMD Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
 
March 9 - 3 p.m.
Project & Lands Committee Meeting
SFWMD Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
 
March 10 - 9 a.m.
Governing Board Meeting
SFWMD Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
 
March 14 - 5 p.m.
WRAC Recreational Issues Workshop
SFWMD Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
 
SFWMD Restoring Marshlands in Kissimmee Headwaters
Restoration of the 6,000-acre Rolling Meadows property will return water flow to an historic part of Lake Hatchineha's floodplain.
Amid the headwaters of the Kissimmee River, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has begun transforming an abandoned sod farm back to historic Lake Hatchineha floodplain.
  
"Re-establishing the historic Kissimmee River Valley continues to be a success story for Everglades restoration," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Daniel O'Keefe. "Vast areas of restored marsh and floodplain are providing significant environmental benefits while increasing our water management flexibility."
  
Located in a spot where Lake Hatchineha once naturally overflowed its banks during wet times, the 6,000-acre Rolling Meadows property at the river's headwaters in Polk County was a sod farm in the 1960s. The floodplain on the site just south of the lake was then dried out for flood control.
  
Following SFWMD approval of a construction contract in November, crews have begun the initial work to install new water control structures and update existing infrastructure so that water can once again flow onto Rolling Meadows. When finished, the project will help to restore wildlife habitat and will provide about 1,300 acre-feet of water storage, increasing water management flexibility to move and store water after Kissimmee River restoration is complete.
  
The $3.7 million project is being funded through a mitigation agreement between the SFWMD and the five utilities of the STOPR Group: City of St. Cloud, TOHO Water Authority, Orange County, Polk County and Reedy Creek Improvement District.
  
You can read more about the Rolling Meadows project and the restoration of the Kissimmee River in our news release.

Bolles Canal Upgrade to Improve Regional Water Movement Flexibility
The Bolles East Canal provides a link between the Hillsboro and
North New River canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area
.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board approved a construction contract in February that will increase flexibility to provide flood control and move water within the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA).
  
"Expanding our management options is critical to meeting water supply and water quality improvement goals," said SFWMD Governing Board member Jim Moran. "This project component will have significant benefits for the environment and the agricultural community, while helping to reduce the potential need for emergency pumping of excess stormwater into Lake Okeechobee."  
  
The agreement between the SFWMD and landowner A. Duda & Sons calls for an even split of the $2.2 million cost of constructing a new, two-lane bridge to replace a culvert that limits flow in the Bolles East Canal. The bridge is a crucial component of a larger SFWMD project to increase capacity in the canal, which runs east-to-west in the EAA. The Governing Board approved an investment of $3.8 million to construct Phase 1 in August 2015.
  
When complete, the canal upgrade south of Lake Okeechobee will improve the flow of water to the newly operational A-1 Flow Equalization Basin and existing Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). An integral part of Governor Scott's Restoration Strategies plan, the STAs use aquatic vegetation to remove excess nutrients in water before it reaches the Everglades.
  
You can read more about the Bolles Canal upgrades in our news release, or you can watch a video of blasting work done as part of the project.

Report Shows Average 2015 Nesting Season for South Florida Wading Birds
Wading birds such as roseate spoonbills are important "indicator species" of overall environmental health in South Florida.
Wading bird populations in South Florida had relatively average nesting success in 2015 compared to the last 10 years, according to the annual South Florida Wading Bird Report released this month by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
  
Scientists documented an estimated 43,896 wading bird nests throughout South Florida during the nesting season from December 2014 to June 2015. While the number is in line with the 10-year average, it represents a 25 percent increase over the average for the past five years.
  
The moderate improvement was largely attributed to increased nesting by the white ibis, the most numerous wading bird species in South Florida. White ibis produced 28,139 nests, about 11,000 (64 percent) more nests than the five-year average and 32 percent more than the 10-year average.
  
"Our collaborative work with scientists at noted institutions produces this annual, comprehensive look at the health of important species in the Everglades," said SFWMD Governing Board member Sandy Batchelor. "Continued progress with restoration projects is critical to improve essential habitat that will help wading birds flourish."
  
Other highlights of the report include:
  • Tricolored heron nesting efforts increased (1,148 nests) relative to recent years, with improvement attributed to increased nesting in Florida Bay.
  • Roseate spoonbill nesting improved (365 nests) by nearly three times more than last year, although it is low when compared to the 30-year average.
  • Great egret nesting (8,213 nests) was within 3 percent of both the 5- and 10-year averages.
  • Wood stork nesting (1,469 nests) was down 36 percent from the 10-year average and down 32 percent from the 5-year average.
The wading bird report is prepared each year in partnership with: the SFWMD; the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve; Everglades National Park; the University of Florida, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Audubon of Florida's Everglades Science Center; J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge; Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves; and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area.
  
More short-term conclusions and long-term trends from the report can be found in our news release. The full 2015 South Florida Wading Bird Report is also available on our website.

SFWMD Hosts Annual Water Conservation Expo & Vendor Fair
Speakers at the 2016 Water Conservation Expo & Vendor Fair included (from left to right):
Jeff Sumner, SFWMD Chief of State and Agricultural Policy; Melanie Peterson, SFWMD Governing Board Member; Billy Kempfer, Kempfer Cattle Co.; and Jim Fletcher, UF/IFAS.
 
The 2016 Water Conservation Expo & Vendor Fair was held on Feb. 19 at South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) headquarters in West Palm Beach. Hosted by the SFWMD and the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the day-long event attracted conservation-conscious agricultural professionals.

 
More than 120 participants from the public and private sectors heard informative presentations focused on agricultural and nursery water users. Topics included the importance of conserving water, research on water-saving methods and types of assistance and funding that governmental organizations can provide. Fifteen vendors showcased the latest in water conservation hardware and technology.
 
SFWMD Governing Board member Melanie Peterson kicked off the Expo. The speakers who followed included representatives from UF/IFAS, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Office of Agricultural Water Policy, Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Additionally, five representatives from Florida's agricultural industry participated in a dynamic panel discussion.
 
To see more photos from the Expo, click here for a Flickr album.