Ten Year Study on Water Flushing Times and Water Quality in Southern Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park, FL

Hydrologic Controls of Coastal Groundwater Discharge in Southern Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida

“…Thermal modeling has demonstrated that GW discharge does occur in Taylor Slough's mangrove ecotone (Spence 2011), which agrees with the findings of both single and multiple technique water balance approaches (Sandoval 2013;Zapata-Rios & Price 2012). Another study that used a water budget technique that was augmented by numerical modeling of GW in southern Taylor Slough similarly found that GW discharge was an important contributor, but that GW discharge occurs most of the time (Michot et al 2011).…”

“…Net primary productivity in the mangrove ecotone is P-limited and controlled by salinity, the timing of SW flows, and GW discharge (Koch et al 2012). Taylor Slough's primary source of water and P is atmospheric deposition (Sandoval 2013;Sutula et al 2001), but GW discharge may be another significant source of P .…”

“…Water leaves the slough primarily via evapotranspiration (ET) and to a lesser degree, outflows into Florida Bay (Sandoval 2013;Zapata-Rios & Price 2012). Drainage is affected both tidally and seasonally; southward flows occur during the wet season, whereas stagnation and flow reversals occur during the dry season (Sandoval 2013;Sutula et al 2001).…”

“…Precipitation is the dominant freshwater contributor (Sandoval 2013;Sutula et al 2001;Zapata-Ríos & Price 2012), while GW discharge and inputs from Florida Bay contribute brackish water ).…”

“…Those projects determined that GW discharge was an important contributor to Taylor Slough's water (Zapata-Rios & Price 2012, Sandoval 2013) and phosphorus (P) budgets (Koch et al 2012). As yet, no attention was given to the driver(s) of the GW contribution.…”