Salinity, discharge, stage (tables 1-6, OFR 02-59)

The report describes the history of roads through the Lower Glades of Everglades National Park and their influence on salinity intrusion. The tables contain data on flows through culverts beneath the main park road.

The main road in Everglades National Park (ENP) connects Flamingo with the Park's entrance and continues onto the coastal ridge of Miami-Dade County. The current alignment of the road, an extension of State Road 9336, formerly known as State Road 27, was built in 1956 when a portion of what was then known as Ingraham Highway was replaced with a more northward section. The road has been the subject of some controversy. Some scientists have claimed that the roadbed is a barrier to natural flow into Florida Bay, while others have blocked culverts to hold fresh water back in the wetlands east of the road and north of Florida Bay. The South Florida Natural Resources Center conducted a study to access the current condition of the culverts and to determine the patterns of water flow in the area adjacent to the road. Information has been gathered on the road's history, the historical water levels and flow patterns. Monitoring sites have been installed to record water level, salinity, and flow, which are being measured during times when water is present. The USGS conducted investigations in the southern Everglades to assess the extent of saline-water intrusion by means of airborne electromagnetic geophysical measurements. The data in the tables are part of the report which condenses the information gathered as of 2002.