Interim report on the hydrologic features of the Green Swamp area in Central Florida

The Green Swamp area in central Florida is another area where man is developing agricultural land from marginal land. Though the area is by no means as extensive as that of the Everglades, the present efforts for its development are similar to the early efforts for developing the Everglades in that many miles of canals and ditches have been constructed to improve the drainage. Lest the early mistakes of the Everglades be repeated, the Florida Department of Water Resources considered that an appraisal of the physical and hydrologic features of the area was needed to determine the broad effects of draining and developing the swamp. This reconnaissance provides information required by the State of Florida for determining its responsibility and policy in regard to the Green Swamp area and for formulating future plans for water management of the area. Some of the features that have been determined are: the amount of rainfall on the area; the pattern of surfacewater drainage; the amount and direction of surface-water runoff; the direction of ground-water movement; the interrelationship of rainfall, surface water, and ground water; the effects of improved drainage facilities'; and the effects of the hydrologic environment on the chemical quality of water of the area.(PDF contains 106 pages.)

Reconnaissance of the ground-water resources of the Fernandina area, Nassau County, Florida

Practically all water for municipal and industrial use in the Fernandina area is supplied by artesian wells. In recent years, the use of artesian water in the area has increased to meet the needs of expanding industry and increasing population. The total industrial and municipal pumpage has increased from approximately 35 million gallons per day in 1941 to approximately 50 million gallons per day in 1959. Correlated with the increase in water use is the constant decline in the artesian pressure in the area. In many other areas in Florida, such a decline in artesian pressure has resulted in salt-water intrusion into the fresh-water supply.An intrusion of salt water in the Fernandina area would contaminate the existing fresh-water supply and would result in a hardship for the population and seriously injure the economy. Recognizing the threat to the fresh-water supplies of this area, the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Florida Geological Surveymade a reconnaissance to determineif there has been any intrusion of salt water into the fresh-water supply or if there is any danger of future intrusion. (PDF contains 28 pages.)

Mechanical and Chemical Control of Smooth Cordgrass in Waillapa Bay, Washington

We evaluated four methods to control smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel), hereafter spartina, in Willapa Bay, Washington: mowing, mowing plus herbicide combination, herbicide only for clones, and aerial application of herbicide for meadows. (PDF has 7 pages.)

Control of Variable Watermilfoil in Bashan Lake, CT with 2,4-D: Monitoring of Lake and Well Water.

Variable watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michx.) has recently become a problem in Bashan Lake, East Haddam, CT, USA. By 1998, approximately 4 ha of the 110 ha lake was covered with variable watermilfoil. In 1999, the milfoil was spot treated with Aquacide®, an 18% active ingredient of the sodium salt of 2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid], applied at a rate of 114 kg/ha. Aquacide® was used because labeling regarding domestic water intakes and irrigation limitations prevented the use of Navigate® or AquaKleen®, a 19% active ingredient of the butoxyethyl ester of 2,4-D. Variable watermilfoil was partially controlled in shallow protected coves but little control occurred in deeper more exposed locations. 2,4-D levels in the treatment sites were lower than desired and offsite dilution was rapid. In 2000, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued a special local need (SLN) registration to allow the use of Navigate ® or AquaKleen® in lakes with potable and irrigation water intakes. Navigate® was applied at a rate of 227 kg/ha to the same areas as treated in 1999. An additional 2 ha of variable watermilfoil was treated with Navigate® in 2001, and 0.4 ha was treated in mid-September. Dilution of the 2,4-D ester formulation to untreated areas was slower than with the salt formulation. Concentrations of 2,4-D exceeded 1000 μg/ L in several lake water samples in 2000 but not 2001. Nearly all of the treated variable watermilfoil was controlled in both years. The mid-September treatment appeared as effective as the spring and early summer treatments. Testing of homeowner wells in all 3 years found no detectable levels of 2,4-D.(PDF contains 8 pages.)

Nutrient Limitation of Periphyton in a Spring-Fed, Coastal Stream in Florida, USA.

There is strong evidence to suggest that ground-water nitrate concentrations have increased in recent years and further increases are expected along portions of the central Gulf coast of Florida. Much of the nitrate enriched groundwater is discharged into surface waters through numerous freshwater springs that are characteristic of the area and the potential for eutrophication of their receiving waters is a legitimate concern. To test the potential effects of elevated nutrient concentrations on the periphyton community an in situ nutrient addition experiment was conducted in the spring-fed Chassahowitzka River, FL, USA, during the summer of 1999. Plastic tubes housing arrays of glass microscope slides were suspended in the stream. Periphyton colonizing the microscope slides was subjected to artificial increases in nitrogen, phosphorus or a combination of both. Slides from each tube were collected at 3- to 4- day intervals and the periphyton communities were measured for chlorophyll concentration. The addition of approximately 10 μg/L of phosphate above ambient concentrations significantly increased the amount of periphyton on artificial substrates relative to controls; the addition of approximately 100 μg/L of nitrate above ambient concentrations did not. The findings from this experiment implicated phosphorus, rather than nitrogen, as the nutrient that potentially limits periphyton growth in this system.(PDF contains 4 pages.)

Grazing by manatees excludes both new and established wild celery transplants: Implications for restoration in Kings Bay, FL, USA

We conducted a field experiment between August 2001 and February 2002 in Kings Bay, FL, USA, designed to determine whether the amount of time allowed for wild celery (Vallisneria americana Michx) transplants to establish altered the effect of herbivorous manatees (Trichechus manatus L.)on their survival.

Springsheds of the Santa Fe River Basin

Powerpoint presentation (PDF has 45 pages.)

Geologic History of Florida

(1 poster)

Earth Systems: the foundation of Florida’s Ecosystems

(1 poster)

Evaluation of the quantity and quality of the water resources of Volusia County, Florida

This report amplifies and refines some of the data already issued covering the water resources of Volusia County, which were published as Report of Investigations No. 21. The work in the report was accomplished as a cooperative program between the Department of Natural Resources, the U. S. Geological Survey and the Board of County Commissioners of Volusia County. Volusia County is almost totally dependent upon the water which falls upon the county and has a recharge area contained along the western portion and the central portions of the county. Excellent water is produced in the areal recharge and it is anticipated that this data will expand the existing knowledge of the water resources to permit the development of a great capacity for existing utilities and to offset and solve some of the problems now in the area. (PDF has 71 pages.)

A Method for siting and prioritizing the removal of derelict vessels in Florida Coastal Waters: test applications in the Florida Keys

Increased boating activities and new waterfront developments have contributed an estimated 3,000 dismantled, abandoned, junked, wrecked, derelict vessels to Florida coastal waters. This report outlines a method of siting and prioritizing derelict vessel removal using the Florida Keys as a test area. The data base was information on 240 vessels, obtained from Florida Marine Patrol files. Vessel location was plotted on 1:250,000 regional and 1:5,000 and 1:12,000 site maps. Type of vessel, length, hull material, engine, fuel tanks, overall condition, afloat and submerged characteristics, and accessibility, were used to derive parametric site indices of removal priority and removal difficulty. Results indicate 59 top priority cases which should be the focus of immediate clean up efforts in the Florida Keys. Half of these cases are rated low to moderate in removal difficulty; the remainder are difficult to remove. Removal difficulty is a surrogate for removal cost: low difficulty -low cost, high difficulty - high cost. The rating scheme offers coastal planners options of focusing removal operations either on (1) specific areas with clusters of high priority derelict vessels or on (2) selected targeted derelicts at various, specific locations. (PDF has 59 pages.)

Biology and Fishery of Florida's commercial sponges

(PDF has 2 pages.)

Disinfection of sea water by ultraviolet radiation

(PDF has 12 pages.)

Reconnaissance of the geology and ground-water resources of Columbia County, Florida

The Floridan aquifer was found to be principal source of ground water in the area, containing artesian water in the northern part of Columbia County, and being recharged in the southern part of the county. A few wells in the northern part of the county tap water present in sediments that lie above the Floridan aquifer. These shallow waters are generally high in iron and tannic acid. The details on the geology and hydrology necessary to conserve and utilize the water available to the residents of Columbia County are presented in this study. (PDF contains 86 pages)

Hydrology of western Collier County, Florida

The U.S. Geological Survey was requested in 1967 to locate areas that would most likely yield the greatest quantities of the best quality water to satisfy the projected municipal needs of western Collier County. The investigation included the following phases: (1) evaluation of existing data; (2) determination of the hydrologic and geologic characteristics of the subsurface materials; (3) collection of miscellaneous discharge data in the inland canal complex and interpretation of the data; and (4) determination of the quality of water. (PDF has 40 pages)