Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida/Caribbean CESU

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The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research that evaluates the response of aquatic communities, and particularly aquatic consumers, to a landscape-scale manipulation of water flow accomplished by breaching a levee, introducing enhanced water flow velocities, and altering canal depths adjacent to Everglades marshes. The ultimate goal is the hydrologic restoration of the quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of water deliveries to the primary landscape features while maintaining drainage, flood control, water retention, water supply, irrigation, and transportation. While the need for levee degradation to re-establish sheet flow is well established, there remains much uncertainty and controversy over the need to backfill canals to marsh grade (complete backfill), particularly in canals that are oriented perpendicular to the direction of flow, such that they do not create hydraulic short circuits to marsh flow. This is primarily because it is not known if a physical surface connection is an absolute necessity to restore the ecological function of the ridge & slough system or ecosystem connectivity. There are two primary arguments against completely backfilling the canals thus warranting the investigation of alternatives. First, the existing network of canals supports a highly prized and valued sport fishery. Second, the complete backfill of all the canals may not be economically viable.

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