Proposed Minimum Water Level Criteria for Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, and the Biscayne Aquifer within the South Florida Water Management District; DRAFT

South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD); Swift, David; Giddings, Jeff; Havens, Karl; VanArman, Joel; Ross, Cecile; Burns, Scott

From Author Introduction: This report documents the methods and technical criteria used by staff of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD or District) to develop proposed minimum flows and levels for the Biscayne aquifer, Lake Okeechobee, and the remaining Everglades (which includes the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs), the Holey Land/Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas and Everglades National Park). The District is also proceeding with efforts to develop minimum flows and levels for associated areas such as the Caloosahatchee River Estuary by the year 2000, the Loxahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries by the year 2001, and Biscayne Bay by the year 2004 (FDEP, 1997). The District Water Management Plan (DWMP) for South Florida (SFWMD, 1995b) includes a schedule for establishing minimum flows and minimum water levels for priority water bodies within the District. Ch 373 requires the water management Districts to annually review this list and schedule and make any necessary revisions. The SFWMD submitted a revised priority list and schedule to Florida Department of Environmental Protection in November, 1997. This schedule indicates that minimum water levels and flows were to be established by 1999 for four priority areas -- Lake Okeechobee, the Water Conservation Areas, Everglades National Park (except for Florida Bay) and the Biscayne Aquifer. As a first formal step to meet the deadlines for Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades and the Biscayne Aquifer, this report includes: a) A conceptual framework for determining minimum flows and levels based on the best scientific information and ecological criteria available --an approach that may be applied to other surface and ground waters within the District; b) Technical criteria for developing minimum flows and levels for Lake Okeechobee, the Water Conservation Areas, Holey Land/Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas, Everglades National Park, and the Biscayne aquifer based on the conceptual approach.