Abstract
Taylor Slough, in Everglades National Park, has experienced an evolution of water management infrastructure since drainage activities arrived in South Florida. This has included the excavation of canals, installation of large capacity pump stations, and a variety of operational strategies focused on resolving the conflict between managing the water level for developed areas while providing water supply for Everglades National Park. This study provides a review of water management practices and the concurrent hydrologic conditions in the Taylor Slough basin and adjacent canal system from 1961 through 2010. Analyses of flow, water level and rainfall data were divided into time periods that correspond to significant changes in structural features and operational plans. In the early 1960s, Taylor Slough was disconnected from the greater Everglades system by the construction of levees upstream. As water supply for Taylor Slough became more urgent, the Slough was connected to the regional water supply system via a network of canals and pump stations to relieve over-drained conditions. The increased water supply and pump capacity succeeded in raising water level and increasing flow and hydroperiod in the marsh.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Jerry Lorenz and Pamela Sullivan who who provided helpful guidance and encouragement that was instrumental in finishing this manuscript. In addition, this analysis of observed data would not be possible without the forethought and dedication of state, local and federal agency staff who began collecting information related to the hydrology of South Florida so many years ago. We hereby sincerely acknowledge and thank them for their efforts. We also would like to particularly acknowledge the National Park Service for providing us the unique opportunity to study this fascinating ecosystem.
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Kotun, K., Renshaw, A. Taylor Slough Hydrology. Wetlands 34 (Suppl 1), 9–22 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-013-0441-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-013-0441-x