Issue Paper on Freshwater Flows to Biscayne Bay for the Alternative Evaluation Team

Bellmund, Sarah; Browder, Joan; Alspach, Sue

Under the Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy), water flows under the recommended alternative reduced the quantity of water flowing from regional and local drainage into Biscayne Bay by 25% in the dry season and 11% in the wet season. This water was replaced with a proposed wastewater reuse facility. The expense and uncertain nature of this technology have prompted concern over the quantity, quality, distribution, and timing of water delivered to Biscayne Bay and Biscayne National Park under the Restudy. Although the quantity, quality, distribution, and timing of water delivered to Biscayne Bay and Biscayne National Park have been severely altered from historic conditions, the need to restore the Bay to more estuarine conditions is an important issue. The South Florida Restoration Task Force. Working Group, the U. S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Miami-Dade County, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have identified the lack of correct water flows to maintain nearshore estuarine conditions in Biscayne Bay as one of the top remaining issues to be resolved related to the performance of any chosen alternative under the Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy). The U. S. Department of the Interior has identified this issue as follows: "Improve ecological conditions in Biscayne Bay by restoring more natural fresh water inflows, separate from the wastewater reuse proposed in [Alternative] D13R." (U.S.F.W.S, 1998) The Alternative Evaluation Team (AET) was tasked with further defining this problem and identifying a solution and a process to reach the proposed solution. The purpose of this paper is to present a synopsis of what is factually known about historic and current conditions in Biscayne Bay, identify concerns, and provide recommendations for addressing them. This paper outlines the historical hydrologic and biologic conditions related w the Bay, the current conditions in the Bay, and the problems and implications of altered water flow. A series of actions are proposed to formulate performance measures, define and acquire critical missing information, and determine alternative sources of water.