Water Use Projects
C. W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir Seepage Monitoring, Hillsborough County, Florida. Environmental Scientist. Earth Resources is conducting wetland health assessments in the existing wetlands adjacent to the reservoir using a modified WAP method. Monitoring consists of evaluating the plant communities within 32 quadrats along 12 linear transects. The data collected include plant inventories and health per stratum, weedy composition per stratum, staff gauge water levels, disturbance observations, photo documentation, and incidental wildlife observations. Canopy, shrubs, vines, and groundcover specimens within each stratum.
Flow-Thru Wetland Environmental Management Plan, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties, Florida. Tampa Bay Water’s renewed CWUP requires an update of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to include a process to manage the potential impacts of groundwater withdrawals on streams and flow-through systems. Earth Resources assisted Tampa Bay Water with the development of the EMP for the flow-thru systems. Tasks included conducting ecological assessment of the wetlands using a modified WAP method, establishing monitoring transects, marking water level indicators, analyzing the period of record hydrologic data including groundwater and surface water monitoring data, and preparing a report that summarizes the existing conditions of wetlands assessed.
Werner Boyce/Salt Springs State Park, Brazilian Pepper Mapping with Hyperspectral Airborne (AISA) Imagery, Port Richey, Florida. As part of cooperative effort between Tampa Bay Water and the State Parks Department to control exotic vegetation at this State Park, Brazilian Pepper was mapped using spectral analysis methods. Digital maps of species occurrence in raster and Arcview shapefile format were prepared. Earth Resources was responsible for mapping Brazilian pepper colonies in accordance with specific conditions of the ERP. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, the site was ground truthed on foot and Brazilian pepper colonies were was delineated using a GPS unit.
Tampa Bay Water Surficial Aquifer Recovery Analysis, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties, Florida. Assisted with conducting a qualitative assessment of wetlands within potable water wellfields for expected recovery from groundwater withdrawals. Tasks involved verifying the normal pool water level elevations of the wetlands within the network of monitored wetlands in and around the 11 major wellfields, analyzing existing water level monitoring data, Wetland Assessment Procedure (WAP) data and aerial imagery to determine change in plant cover and extent using satellite imagery, statistical analysis of water level data and finally field review of wetlands that were not meeting their established normal pool to identify a potential cause.