U.S. Geological Survey         Data Series 105

By Clinton D. Hittle and Mark A. Zucker

Northeastern Florida Bay Estuarine Creek Data, Water Years 1996-2000

Data Series 105 Abstract and Conversion Table Introduction, Figure 1, & Table 1 Methods of Investigation Field Data Collection Discharge Computation for Instrumented Sites, Tables 2 & 3 Discharge Estimation for Noninstrumented Sites Data Files - Northeastern Florida Bay Estuarine Creeks References Cited

Introduction The hydrologic restoration of the Everglades to more "natural" conditions is expected to affect the quantity and timing of freshwater exiting the mainland through the coastal creeks into northeastern Florida Bay. Estuarine creek flow to northeastern Florida Bay is naturally controlled by water-level conditions in the upstream wetlands (fig. 1, primarily Taylor Slough and the C-111 basin); regional wind patterns; and to a lesser extent, tides. Restoration efforts for the Florida Bay ecosystem could benefit from an understanding of the linkage between the amount of freshwater flowing into the bay.   In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study to gage estuarine creeks that discharge freshwater into northeastern Florida Bay. The objective of the study was to provide flow, salinity, water temperature, and water-level data for physical, biological and chemical studies being conducted in the area and also to provide data for hydrodynamic model development and verification. The study was conducted as part of the USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Sciences Program, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Everglades National Park. This report presents the hydrologic data collected for the study from October 1995 to September 2000 (water years 1996-2000) and briefly summarizes the methods and techniques used in the collection and analysis of these data. A more detailed description of the methodology is presented in Hittle and others (2001).   Hydrologic data were collected at ten sites (fig. 1 and table 1) and the data (stage, discharge, salinity, and water temperature) are provided as part of this report. Procedures used at instrumented sites to calculate the cross-sectional area are presented along with analyses made to establish the relations between index velocity and mean water velocity for the computation of discharge. Revised discharge estimation formulas for three noninstrumented sites and velocity relations for three instrumented sites also are presented.   Table 1. Description of Florida Bay monitoring Stations [Stations are listed from east to west. Latitude and longitude are referenced to NAD 83 (North American Datum of 1983). Abbreviation: ddmmss, degrees minutes seconds] Station Name Latitude (ddmmss) Longitude (ddmmss) Type of site Creek Location East Highway Creek 251440 802628 Noninstrumented Northeastern Long Sound West Highway Creek 251433 802650 Instrumented Northeastern Long Sound Oregon Creek 251422 802719 Noninstrumented Northeastern Long Sound Stillwater Creek 251341 802912 Instrumented beginning 1999 Northwestern Long Sound Trout Creek 251253 803201 Instrumented Between Joe Bay and Florida Bay Mud Creek 251209 803501 Instrumented Western Alligator Bay East Creek 251153 803708 Noninstrumented Northeastern Little Madeira Bay Taylor River 251127 803821 Instrumented North-central Little Madeira Bay Upstream Taylor River 251241 803853 Instrumented beginning 1999 2 Miles Upstream from Little Madeira Bay McCormick Creek 251003 804355 Instrumented Between Monroe Lake and Terrapin Bay

U.S. Department of the Interior,
U.S. Geological Survey
9100 N.W. 36th Street
Miami, FL 33178
email Clinton D. Hittle cdhittle@usgs.gov or Mark A. Zucker mzucker@usgs.gov