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Water Quality Characterization in the Northern Florida Everglades

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An Erratum to this article was published on 05 June 2012

Abstract

The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) developed as a system with waters low in nutrients. Today, the Refuge wetlands are impacted by inflows containing elevated nutrient concentrations originating from agricultural sources flowing into canals surrounding the west side and from urban and horticultural areas flowing into canals surrounding the eastern side of the Refuge. We analyzed water quality sampled at 40 sites divided into eastern and western areas and four zones in the Refuge. We defined four zones as the canals surrounding the Refuge marsh, the perimeter zone, the transition zone, and the interior zone. The canal receiving agricultural inflows had greater alkalinity and conductivity (SpC), Si and SO4 but lower turbidity and total suspended solids than the canal receiving urban and horticultural inflows. Alkalinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), SpC, Ca, Cl, and SO4 concentrations were greater in the perimeter than in transition and interior zones. Alkalinity and SpC values and SO4 concentrations were greater in the transition than in interior zone. Alkalinity, SpC, and TDS values and Ca, SO4, and Cl concentrations correlated in negative curvilinear relationships with distance from the canal (r 2 = 0.78, 0.70, 0.61, 0.78, 0.64, 0.57, respectively). Analysis of multiple water quality parameters may reveal the complexity of interactions that might be overlooked in a simple single parameter analysis. These data show an impact of canal water containing high nutrient concentrations on water quality flowing from the canal towards the Refuge interior.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr. Rebekah Gibble, Grant Gifford, Angie Markovich, Serena Rinker, Robert Smith, and Tiffany Trent for water quality sampling and collection; the SFWMD and Columbia Analytical Services for water chemistry analyses; SFWMD for access to DBHYDRO for database; Leslie MacGregor for GIS assistance; April Ostrem for checking all data; and Donatto Surratt for Fig. 1 and manuscript review. Funding was provided by the US Congress P.L. 108-108 and the Department of Interior Appropriations Act of 2004. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Interior.

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  1. James A. Entry

    Present address: Nurtigrown LCC, 9250 Bendix Road, North, Suite 545, Columbia, MD, 21045, USA

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  1. Everglades Program Team, Everglades National Park, US Department of Interior, 10218 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL, 33473-9741, USA

    James A. Entry

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Entry, J.A. Water Quality Characterization in the Northern Florida Everglades. Water Air Soil Pollut 223, 3237–3247 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1105-9

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