An assessment of seepage into the L-31N Canal along Northeast Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

The hydrologic restoration of the Everglades ecosystem has been ongoing since 2000. One of the key planned projects is the control and management of seepage emanating from Northeast Everglades National Park and flowing to the L-31 North Canal that is part of the South Dade Conveyance System. In order to design the most efficient seepage management system, it is important to understand the overall trends in daily seepage from the Park into the canal system. Equally important is an assessment of the spatial distribution of seepage along the canal system. This research article provides an assessment of mean daily net seepage into the L-31 North Canal and one segment of the L-30 Canal from mid-1991 to end of 2010 using a water budget approach. Then the spatial distribution of seepage is determined by developing piecemeal water budgets from the northern part of the system to the southern terminus of L-31 North Canal at the S-331 water control structure. The overall interpretation of the water budget data is aided by a review of water level differences throughout the system as well as analysis of past seepage studies. Lastly, recommendations are provided that would permit continued monitoring of the water budget and better spatial assessment of water level data to enable more meaningful ecological restoration assessment to be realized. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy issues and suggestions for adaptive assessment improvement of the project going forward.