CERP - DECOMP - WCA 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement - PROJ 12

The DECOMP Physical Model (DPM) is a large-scale field test designed to address uncertainties associated with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP) Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheet Flow Enhancement Project (DECOMP), specifically to reduce the environmental risks and aid alternative selections associated with Project Implementation Reports (PIR) 2 and 3. The project couples the construction and operation of hydrologic features and design alternatives with a comprehensive hydrological and ecological monitoring plan. The intent is to coordinate the operation of the hydraulic features with the collection of monitoring data in a statistically robust manner to reduce uncertainty. An objective of the DPM is to build the structural features that will cause a range of surface water velocities to occur in a marginally degraded portion of the natural system in order to verify the critical velocity threshold necessary to entrain and redistribute particles and nutrients in the landscape, which is thought to be a fundamental process needed to maintain the historic ridge and slough pattern. The creation of this flow fieldshould allow evaluation of the spatial variability of particle and nutrient transport. The objectives are to begin to assess the benefits of sheet flow study by evaluating surface flows, vegetation interactions, and particle entrainment and redistribution along a spatial and temporal gradient of surface flow velocities. The study will test 13 flow hypotheses to determine the role of flow in structuring and maintaining ridge and slough landscape pattern, as outlined in the Science Plan (DPMST 2010). This is a field based hydrological, sedimentological, and biological experimental and monitoring program to address uncertainties associated with canal backfilling and flow thresholds utilizing the physical features and structures of the DPM. Pulsed flows will be conducted in an operational window that extends from the end of October through January when the hydrologic gradient, water quality conditions, and other operational constraints are ideal. The DPM tasks for Hydrologic Monitoring, Particle Transport, and Biological Monitoring (described below) involve the following key components: a) operation and maintenance of field instrumentation for the collection of water level and environmental data; b) processing of stage records; c) implementation of large and local scale tracer studies; d) sediment transport studies; e) vegetation assessment; f) biogeochemical characterizations; g) environmental assessment; and h) quality assurance, quality control, data release and publication. Data will be collected using a BACI (before, after, control, impact) sampling design involving sample collection before and one after experimental flow releases at locations affected by the flow release and control sites outside the footprint of the flow release. Keywords: