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Water quality characterization in the Northern Florida everglades based on three different monitoring networks

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Abstract

The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is affected by inflows containing elevated contaminant concentrations originating from agricultural and urban areas. Water quality was determined using three networks: the Northern Refuge (NRN), the Southern Refuge (SRN), and the Consent Decree (CDN) monitoring networks. Within these networks, the Refuge was divided into four zones: (1) the canal zone surrounding the marsh, (2) the perimeter zone (0 to 2.5 km into the marsh), (3) the transition zone (2.5 to 4.5 km into the marsh), and (4) the interior zone (>4.5 km into the marsh). In the NRN, alkalinity (ALK) and conductivity (SpC) and dissolved organic carbon, total organic carbon, total dissolved solids (TDS), Ca, Cl, Si, and SO4 concentrations were greater in the perimeter zone than in the transition or interior zone. ALK, SpC, and SO4 concentrations were greater in the transition than in the interior zone. ALK, SpC, and TDS values, Ca, SO4, and Cl had negative curvilinear relationships with distance from the canal toward the Refuge interior (r 2 = 0.78, 0.67, 0.61, 0.77, 0.62, and 0.57, respectively). ALK, TB and SpC, and Ca and SO4 concentrations decreased in the canal and perimeter zones from 2005 to 2009. Important water quality assessments using the SRN and CDN cannot be made due to the sparseness and location of sampling sites in these networks. The number and placement monitoring sites in the Refuge requires optimization based on flow pattern, distance from contaminant source, and water volume to determine the effect of canal water intrusion on water quality.

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Acknowledgments

We 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 their DBHYDRO for database; Leslie MacGregor for GIS assistance and April Ostrem for data QA/QC analyses. Funding provided by the US Congress P.L. 108–108 and the Department of Interior Appropriations Act of 2004. The opinions expresses herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Interior.

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  1. James A. Entry

    Present address: Nutrigrown LLC, 9250 Bendix Road, North NeoTech, Suite 405, Columbia, MD, 21045, USA

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  1. Everglades Restoration, South Florida Ecosystem restoration Center, 950 N Krome Avenue, Homestead, FL, 33030, USA

    James A. Entry

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Entry, J.A. Water quality characterization in the Northern Florida everglades based on three different monitoring networks. Environ Monit Assess 185, 1985–2000 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2682-1

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