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An Examination of the Influence of Freshwater Canal Discharges on Salinity in Selected Southeastern Florida Estuaries.

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Date Issued:
1974-02
Summary:
The freshwater flows from inland areas of southeastern Florida no longer feed the coastal estuaries as they once did, through a gradual overland movement that seasonally penetrated the transverse glades of the coastal ridge and flowed thence toward the coast in a shallow sheet. The capture of interior rainfall and runoff waters in large basins for transient storage and the diversion of local runoff into canals in order to move flood waters quickly from coastal cities and adjacent farmlands, have altered the historic pattern of freshwater flows to the lower east coast. Still, on the basis of existing salinity patterns and biological parameters, there are several areas downstream from major drainage canals that may be legitimately characterized as estuaries. Their productivity has been much diminished by pollution and by direct physical destruction and alteration of shoreline and other shallow productive areas (as by dredging, filling and bulk-heading) as well as through interruption, diversion, and exaggeration of freshwater flow. But the fish and wildlife values associated with these estuaries are still highly significant. Such opportunities as may be available for their preservation and enhancement should be explored.
Title: An Examination of the Influence of Freshwater Canal Discharges on Salinity in Selected Southeastern Florida Estuaries.
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Name(s): United States. Department of the Interior.
Birnhak, Bruce I.
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Technical Report
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1974-02
Publisher: United States. Department of Commerce. National Technical Information Service
Physical Form: electronic resource
Extent: 40 pages, graphs, maps ; 28 cm.
Language(s): English
Summary: The freshwater flows from inland areas of southeastern Florida no longer feed the coastal estuaries as they once did, through a gradual overland movement that seasonally penetrated the transverse glades of the coastal ridge and flowed thence toward the coast in a shallow sheet. The capture of interior rainfall and runoff waters in large basins for transient storage and the diversion of local runoff into canals in order to move flood waters quickly from coastal cities and adjacent farmlands, have altered the historic pattern of freshwater flows to the lower east coast. Still, on the basis of existing salinity patterns and biological parameters, there are several areas downstream from major drainage canals that may be legitimately characterized as estuaries. Their productivity has been much diminished by pollution and by direct physical destruction and alteration of shoreline and other shallow productive areas (as by dredging, filling and bulk-heading) as well as through interruption, diversion, and exaggeration of freshwater flow. But the fish and wildlife values associated with these estuaries are still highly significant. Such opportunities as may be available for their preservation and enhancement should be explored.
Identifier: FI07053166 (IID), 1048258 (digitool), fiu:25778 (fedora), AAC5284QF
Note(s): Electronic reproduction. [Florida] : State University System of Florida, PALMM Project, 2007. Mode of access: World Wide Web. Electronic version created 2007, State University System of Florida.
Subject(s): Freshwater
Estuaries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/tc/feol/FI07053166.pdf
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/tc/feol/FI07053166.jpg
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Host Institution: FIU