Hydrologic Measurements and Water-Quality Data for Taylor Slough and vicinity (OFR 00-483 appendixes)

The data in the appendixes of the report are products of an investigation that quantified interactions between ground water and surface water in Taylor Slough in Everglades National Park. In order to define basic hydrologic characteristics of the wetland, depth of wetland peat was mapped and hydraulic conductivity and vertical hydraulic gradients in peat were determined. During specific time periods representing both wet and dry conditions in the area, the distribution of major ions, nutrients, and water stable isotopes throughout the slough were determined. The purpose of the chemical measurements was to identify an environmental tracer that could be used to quantify ground-water discharge. Data available in the appendixes include site locations and hydrologic characteristics of peat and individual tables for data collected on September 22-October 2, 1997; November 10, 1997; November 19-20, 1997; December 11-17, 1997; June 3-6, 1998; July 20-23, 1998; September 20-October 5, 1999; and October 25-28, 1999.

For restoration of the Everglades to succeed there must be comprehensive knowledge about physical, chemical, and biological processes throughout the system. A key measure of success in the Everglades is the improvement or protection of water quality under changing hydrologic conditions. Although there is a basic understanding of how interactions between groundwater and surface water will affect water budgets under restoration, there is only a rudimentary understanding of how interactions between groundwater and surface water will affect water quality. Only field-oriented research and modeling can determine whether interactions between groundwater and surface water are currently storing pollutants in groundwater, how long those pollutants are likely to be stored in the aquifer, and under what changing management conditions associated with restoration will those pollutants be returned into the surface water system.