River of Grass flows again into Everglades National Park

[Keith W]

River of Grass flows again into Everglades National Park

A backhoe breaks through the roadbed of the old Tamiami Trail

[yakmaster]

bit technical, but here's the data:

 

http://www.l31nseepage.org/PROJECT_DETAILS.pdf
 
Dale said:

 The concrete was a tongue and cheek comment. Yea I remember the controversy. I guess the stopgap solution, if the levees dont hold, is to pump the water out. It could be many years before they are able to give up control of the waterflow back to gravity.  Do we have spellcheck?

 

"The mitigation is to maintain conditions consistent with what existed in 1983..."   "The 8.5 SMA Flood Mitigation Plan includes acquisition of approximately 4,320 acres of land, construction of a levee, seepage canal, pump station, and detention area."

[Swamp Hunter]

Thanks yak.  They keep trying to control the water flow with levees, canals, pumps and concrete.  It may be that the best and only solution is to buy out and/or condemn the land in question.  But Im sure they will keep trying to control mother nature.  I curious how they plan to stop the rising oceans?

[Swamp Hunter]

We have a serious problem in the Everglades now.  It appears all the work done so far will not be enough to stop the mass destruction of wildlife due to high water.  .http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21011300795943/flooding-con...

 

This is at least the 3rd state of emergency pertaining to high water in the Everglades.  I participated in the emergency doe mercy hunt back in 1982 to prevent a mass deer die off. .  It wasnt pretty.  http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-09-06/features/9201200075_1_d...

http://books.google.com/booa ks/about/Everglades_Emergency_Deer_Hun...   Any comments welcome.

[Terry]

We've been mapping East Everglades for the last couple of weekends and the water is definitely low for this

time of year around Chekika and north.   Evidently they have not opened up some gates north

of Tamiami Trail to let the water flow through the new bridge.

I understand the hesitation.

Too much water in the Everglades NP just shifts environmental problems from northern areas to the south.

There's already too much water going out the canals, Biscayne NP has never-seen-before

algae blooms in Biscayne Bay.  And we're only in early August with a system just to our east today.

Interestingly they are pumping plenty of water in Taylor Slough - down at the other end, Nine Mile Pond

and Noble Hammock the water is higher than it's ever been.

Environmental concerns aside, we might be in for some of the best slough paddling for years come

the cooler weather of October and November.   Stay tuned.

[Dallas]

Terry,

I was considering doing the Noble Hammock to Still Creek to West Lake run this weekend. Do you think it is a bad idea as far as water levels and bugs are concerned?

Best,

Dallas

Terry said:

We've been mapping East Everglades for the last couple of weekends and the water is definitely low for this

time of year around Chekika and north.   Evidently they have not opened up some gates north

of Tamiami Trail to let the water flow through the new bridge.

I understand the hesitation.

Too much water in the Everglades NP just shifts environmental problems from northern areas to the south.

There's already too much water going out the canals, Biscayne NP has never-seen-before

algae blooms in Biscayne Bay.  And we're only in early August with a system just to our east today.

Interestingly they are pumping plenty of water in Taylor Slough - down at the other end, Nine Mile Pond

and Noble Hammock the water is higher than it's ever been.

Environmental concerns aside, we might be in for some of the best slough paddling for years come

the cooler weather of October and November.   Stay tuned.

[yakmaster]

I've heard the water's high & the bugs are low (except for the deerflies).

 

That said, even in low bug summers, generally all bets are off in the tunnels.

 

So if you're going, stay out of the shade & when you have to go into shady areas, paddle fast!

Dallas said:

Terry,

I was considering doing the Noble Hammock to Still Creek to West Lake run this weekend. Do you think it is a bad idea as far as water levels and bugs are concerned?

Best,

Dallas

Terry said:

We've been mapping East Everglades for the last couple of weekends and the water is definitely low for this

time of year around Chekika and north.   Evidently they have not opened up some gates north

of Tamiami Trail to let the water flow through the new bridge.

I understand the hesitation.

Too much water in the Everglades NP just shifts environmental problems from northern areas to the south.

There's already too much water going out the canals, Biscayne NP has never-seen-before

algae blooms in Biscayne Bay.  And we're only in early August with a system just to our east today.

Interestingly they are pumping plenty of water in Taylor Slough - down at the other end, Nine Mile Pond

and Noble Hammock the water is higher than it's ever been.

Environmental concerns aside, we might be in for some of the best slough paddling for years come

the cooler weather of October and November.   Stay tuned.

[Dallas]

Thanks for the info!

[Swamp Hunter]

 

Im sure its complicated but I thought the whole point of the new bridge was to restore natural flow. Well its not natural when you impound water to the north to such an extent that it drowns all mammallian wildlife and Chekika is dry. You say there is already too much water in the canals? I just dont get it. Is this typical Army Corps of Engineers? Or maybe I just dont like seeing dead bloated deer caracasses.  Its unnatural to impound all that water and it will destroy the remaining hammocks north of Tamiami Trail.. Open the gates and let the water flow naturally into the sawgrass... my God! 

 

Terry said:

We've been mapping East Everglades for the last couple of weekends and the water is definitely low for this

time of year around Chekika and north.   Evidently they have not opened up some gates north

of Tamiami Trail to let the water flow through the new bridge.

I understand the hesitation.

[Juan Estevez]

Yes, typical Army Corps of Engineers, there is always a constant struggle between the South Florida Water Management District and them. The Corps are the ones making the wrong decisions most of the time; do you remember when they drained the big lake to record levels because some doctor in Colorado (Colorado??) predicted an above normal hurricane season? We had to endured water restrictions for years. They create problems and solve nothing.

[Swamp Hunter]

Yea I remember.  I look back to the beginning post, the top of this page, the diagrams, the pictures of the ribbon cutting celebration that the natural water flow will finally be restored and the remaining hammocks may be saved.  It now appears to be all for naught..  The hammocks have been shrinking considerably in my lifetime, some have completely disappeared. Is it too little too late?

 

I always suspected they wanted the Management Areas to remain huge lakes. They make a bridge with a flood gate in front of it.

[Terry]

High water is always a good thing for paddlers, the only high water issue for Still Creek is you

might have to lift your boat around that photogenic big branch in the Chute.  I'll bet there's South Floruda

style rapids in the Chute just before you pop out in West Lake.  However, my son says

the bugs are bad down at Flamingo, might be a saltwater thing.

But it's just so damn hot for paddling a boat.   Whatever, do it and report back to us.

If I was young enough to brave the heat I'd go for the highest elevation during this high water, Still Creek

can be paddled at low water, save it for after January.    A Taylor Slough run would be perfect or paddling

around Shark Slough up near L-67.

Dallas said:

Terry,

I was considering doing the Noble Hammock to Still Creek to West Lake run this weekend. Do you think it is a bad idea as far as water levels and bugs are concerned?

Best,

Dallas

Terry said:

We've been mapping East Everglades for the last couple of weekends and the water is definitely low for this

time of year around Chekika and north.   Evidently they have not opened up some gates north

of Tamiami Trail to let the water flow through the new bridge.

I understand the hesitation.

Too much water in the Everglades NP just shifts environmental problems from northern areas to the south.

There's already too much water going out the canals, Biscayne NP has never-seen-before

algae blooms in Biscayne Bay.  And we're only in early August with a system just to our east today.

Interestingly they are pumping plenty of water in Taylor Slough - down at the other end, Nine Mile Pond

and Noble Hammock the water is higher than it's ever been.

Environmental concerns aside, we might be in for some of the best slough paddling for years come

the cooler weather of October and November.   Stay tuned.

[Dallas]

Duly noted. Thanks Terry!