Transcript Historical Context: How has the Caloosahatchee River

Historical Context: How has the
Caloosahatchee River/Estuary been
altered? How does it fit within the
broader system?
Michael L. Parsons
Coastal Watershed Institute
Florida Gulf Coast University
Historical Problems Leading to Construction
of Central and South Florida (C&SF) Project
• Hurricanes in 1926 and 1928
resulted in extensive flooding
around Lake Okeechobee
• Hurricane in 1947 resulted in
widespread flooding throughout
South Florida
Areas Flooded
in 1926 &
1928
• State of Florida requested federal
assistance in1947
• Congress authorized the C&SF
Project in 1948
Areas
Flooded
in 1947
Major Features of the C&SF Project
•
•
•
•
River Channelization
Herbert Hoover Dike
Water Conservation Areas
Protective Levees
 Everglades Agricultural
Area
 Lower East Coast
• Drainage Network
 Salinity Structures
Water Flows
Pre-drainage Flows
Managed Flows
(circa 2010)
A Brief History of the Caloosahatchee
• The Caloosahatchee was a sinuous river originating
in the natural marshlands west of Lake Okeechobee.
• In 1881, a canal (C-43) was dredged to connect the
Caloosahatchee River to Lake Okeechobee.
• Three lock-and-dam structures were added to
control flow and stage height in the lake and canal.
– S-77 at Moore Haven on Lake Okeechobee and S-78 at
Ortona were completed in the 1930s
– S-79 (W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam) at Olga was completed
in 1966 to assure a freshwater supply for Lee County and
to prevent saltwater intrusion.
• Dredging activities widened and deepened the river.
Location of the three lock
and dam structures
S-77
S-78
S-79
Caloosahatchee Watershed
The Caloosahatchee is a Managed
System
• The river (and therefore its ecosystem) has
been altered
• How has the system changed?
• What can be done to reduce/reverse impacts?
• What have scientific studies taught us in
relation to these questions?