Geologic Settings and Hydrology Gradients in the Everglades

The goal of this chapter is to review the geological strata that influence hydrologic flow and present detailed hydrologic investigations in Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA-2A) to characterize how man-made alterations (dikes, flood gates, etc.) affect the modern flow regime. We also report the results of several different studies at different temporal and spatial scales designed to study the hydrology in WCA-2A. From these results, we have current estimates of how water flows through heavily vegetated environments as compared to open water. We also demonstrate how different patterns of inundation and flooding within WCA-2A may account for some of the variations in vegetation communities. Importantly, results from our studies provide a basis for understanding how hydrological alterations effect water flow and hydrologic budgets. The results of this study hopefully will be used as a template to study hydrologic conditions in other areas of the Everglades as well as aid in restoration efforts by reducing hydrologic impacts to vegetation communities.