2019 IHE Water Professionals Program

Research | Education | Community Engagement

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER EDITION

In early summer, CES implemented the 14th Annual International Water Professionals Program, a program that brings graduate students from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in Delft, the Netherlands to South Florida. These students, who come from developing nations worldwide, spend over two full weeks learning about our water management challenges from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) scientists and other experts in the field.

------ The Program: At A Glance ------

An Overview of the SFWMD

The students spent their first day in Florida at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) at the main offices in West Palm Beach getting an overview of the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project with an emphasis on the Everglades. They were also given an Introduction to Modeling in the SFMWD.

Exploring the Kissimmee River

SFWMD scientists introduced the students to one of the largest ecological restoration projects in the world at the Riverwoods Field Lab in Lorida, Florida. Students traveled via pontoon boat down the restored Kissimmee River learning about the challenges facing scientists and engineers, as well as seeing how the ecosystem has rebounded in such a short period of time.

Learning from top USGS Scientists

Students spent two full days at FAU's Davie Campus learning from top USGS scientists about the hydrological and ecological aspects of Greater Everglades Restoration. Topics included hydrological modeling, harmful algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee, biological species as indicators of successful restoration and invasive species.

Visiting LILA - A Living Laboratory

Located at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (LILA) is a working, 80-acre model of the Everglades ecosystem. Students had the unique opportunity to explore this landscape scale model, which gives experts an opportunity to research and apply restoration techniques before taking them to the Everglades.

Lake Okeechobee Cut-Off Wall Project

Students were hosted by the US Army Corps of Engineers to tour the current construction of the cut-off wall on the south end of Lake Okeechobee. This project is one of the many projects on the levees that were first built in the 1930s and expanded in the 1960s as the Herbert Hoover Dike. Students donned hard hats and construction boots to get up close to this massive engineering project that is designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic failure of the aging structure.

Tamiami Trail

The Tamiami Trail has been one of the primary barriers to water flow through the Everglades. Students were excited to see the sections of this massive project where flow has been restored to Everglades National Park and other sections where flow will soon be restored.

Stormwater Treatments Areas

Stormwater treatment areas (STAs) are man-made wetlands that filter excess nutrients from agricultural runoff before the runoff water is pumped to the Everglades. Students visited the largest STA project of its kind in the world and learned about the challenges of managing STAs while touring a pump station.

Palm Beach Aggregates

The students visited a Palm Beach Aggregate excavation site and learned about their mining operations. They especially enjoyed learning about the Palm Beach Aggregates’ Public-Private Partnership, which converts excavated areas into freshwater storage reservoirs that will assist with Everglades restoration.

Go Owls!

The IHE students also had the opportunity to present their own research interests during a Symposium held at the SFWMD. The scientists who attended the symposium gained insight about the real-world issues affecting our students' home countries.

The students enjoyed being honorary FAU owls during their visit and showed their enthusiasm and FAU spirit posing for this photo at Loxahatchee!

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