Upper Floridan Aquifer Potentiometric Surface

**IMPORTANT** IN THE OPEN DATA PORTAL THERE IS ONE FEATURE CLASS FOR ALL POTENTIOMETRIC SURFACE MAPS. IF YOU WANT JUST ONE TIME PERIOD CLICK ON THE TABLE TAB, THEN CLICK ON THE DATE FIELD. IN THE FILTER BOX ON THE RIGHT ENTER THE MAP YOU WANT (MAY 2000, SEPTEMBER 2015, ETC.). WHEN YOU CLICK THE DOWNLOAD DATASET BUTTON SELECT SPREADSHEET OR KML OR SHAPEFILE UNDER THE FILTERED DATASET OPTION. YOU WILL ONLY GET THE FILTERED DATA FROM THIS DOWNLOAD. Contour lines are created for the potentiometric surface of the upper Floridan aquifer from water level data submitted by the water management districts. The points associated with the water level data are added to Geostatistical Analyst and ordinary kriging is used to interpolate water level elevation values between the points. The Geostatistical Analyst layer is then converted to a grid (using GA Layer to grid tool) and then contour lines (using the Contour tool). Post editing is done to smooth the lines and fix areas that are hydrologically incorrect. The rules established for post editing are: 1) rivers intersecting the UFA follow the rule of V’s; 2) potentiometric surface contour line values don’t exceed the topographic digital elevation model (DEM) in unconfined areas; and 3) potentiometric surface contour lines don’t violate valid measured water level data. Errors are usually located where potentiometric highs are adjacent to potentiometric lows (areas where the gradient is high). Expert knowledge or additional information is used to correct the contour lines in these areas. Some additional data may be river stage values in rivers that intersect the Floridan aquifer or land elevation in unconfined areas. Contour lines created prior to May 2012 may be calculated using a different method. The potentiometric surface is only meant to describe water level elevation based on existing data for the time period measured. The contour interval for the statewide map is 10 feet and is not meant to supersede regional (water management district) or local (city) scale potentiometric surface maps.